The Memoirs of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
by violet-angel07
Summary: The memories of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, four fated young men, remembered by them, written by them... Two are now dead, one is a traitor, and the other, is completely alone... This is their story...Please Read & Review
1. Prologue

**Full Summary: **_"Quote of the Era: __'You, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew, are a bunch of good-for-nothing-dim-witted _marauders_!' – Said by the infamous McGonagall."                                                                                                          _The memories of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, remembered by them, written by them... Two are now dead, one is a traitor, and the other, is completely alone... This is the story before The Boy Who Lived...

**Author's Notes:** Hello People! Welcome to the Memoirs of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Thanks goes to my beta Egwene for checking and giving me a lot of help with this story. Please Read and Review, I'd like to know what you all think of it so far, and don't worry the next chapters will be coming soon. Enjoy! And don't forget to press the Review button!  
  
**Disclaimer:** Everything from the Harry Potter universe belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Bros. And whoever else owns it. I just use the characters for fun! So don't sue. The maximum money you will get is $2 anyway.  
  
**Spoilers:** All Harry Potter books so far. Especially OotP. 

**PROLOGUE:**

Remus Lupin gazed up at the blackening night sky through the grubby windowpanes in Number 12 Grimmauld Place; he was standing in Sirius' old bedroom. The cloudless night was a deep velvety black, and stars were scattered across the mass of blackness, shining out brightly from their positions in the heavens, like miniscule beacons of radiant light.

Remus' tired eyes scanned the starry sky and lingered on one of the most luminous of stars, the one that lit up the dark sky, the one called Sirius. 

It was ironic that one of the brightest stars in the sky was called Sirius, or the Dog Star; because just seven nights ago someone that seemed as bright as this star; Sirius Black, was still alive. 

Ever since Sirius died Remus had stood at the window in the cold uninhabited room for hours, gazing up at the stars, and looking at this same star every night, which seemed to glow a little brighter each time. Or maybe it was just Remus' imagination running away with him. But it seemed to Remus that the star was brighter than ever before. Perhaps this is Sirius' way of telling us he's all right, thought Remus, or perhaps it is a sign from the heavens that Sirius is all right. It seemed a little far-fetched, but Remus believed it. 

Whenever he gazed at the stars Remus was always reminded of those he held dear and those he had lost; now more than ever. 

The pain of losing his friend was still fresh in Remus' heart. It had only been seven nights ago that he had lost his only surviving true friend: Sirius Black. 

The scene of Sirius' death from that fateful night at the Ministry of Magic when Sirius had fallen through the veil in the Department of Mysteries, still played over and over in Remus' mind. He could still see the laughter that had not yet died from Sirius' face when Bellatrix Lestrange had hit him in the chest with a spell. He could still see the look of shock mingled with fear on Sirius' face as he fell gracefully through the veil, never to return. 

Remus felt utterly alone with his last best friend gone. He was the last surviving Marauder. And now he had to stand alone. Without any of his true friends beside him. It seemed almost unreal to Remus that Sirius was gone. 

At that moment Remus had half expected to see Sirius come walking into the room and laugh at him, telling him that it was all a big joke, that he was fine, and that he always would be. 

But no one came. The door didn't creak open. There was no barking laugh. No soft fall of footsteps. Nothing. 

Remus didn't want to believe it. But it was the truth. Sirius was gone. Padfoot was gone. And he would not be coming back. Not now. Not ever. Silent tears rolled down Remus' cheeks, as grief engulfed him. 

He longed for his friend. Longed to hear his grumbling. Longed to hear his voice. But that would never happen again. 

Tearing his eyes away from the shining star, Remus walked over to the dusty bedside table. He sifted through the contents. Not knowing exactly why. Suddenly his hands came upon something very old. Something that Remus had never expected to see. It was a red, leather bound book, with silver lettering embellished on the front cover; entitled 'The Memoirs Of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs', a name on which they had all finally agreed on to put on the front cover. It was a journal of sorts. Remus smiled a sad smile, knowing how many memories it contained. Memories of when him and his friends were still young, still carefree. 

Remus remembered the day back in their 7th year when James, Sirius, Peter and himself had the idea to start a journal, it seemed like an age ago. James had suggested it, Remus reminisced, he had said it would be a great thing to do, they could write about and recall important events, and what it was like in their time so that when they were ancient and saggy they could read it and remember the 'good old days' and relive the past, pretending that they were still young. They could read it to their great-grandchildren and say 'I did that,' or 'this is what happened when…'. James had thought that they would always be 'Moony', 'Wormtail', 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs'; that they would always be together. We all did, Remus thought as another tear slid down his cheek, we all thought that this war wasn't going to affect us, that we would be unharmed and unscathed at the end of it. It wasn't even the end of the Second War and already two of his greatest friends were dead, one, a traitor, and the other, himself, was now utterly alone.

Remus sat upon the bed, Sirius' bed, and inspected the book carefully. There were fingerprint imprints in the thick dust on the edges of the book; it looked like it had been opened recently. Perhaps Sirius had started to read it before he died. It wouldn't be surprising that Sirius might have been reading the old book, Remus thought, because it was well known that Sirius was terribly bored and restless due to being caged up in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, as Sirius' name hadn't been cleared yet, he had to stay out of sight. Sirius hated staying in the house, because it meant that he couldn't help out the Order, (a fact of which Snape constantly enjoyed reminding Sirius about) or even see Harry that often. Sirius was the restless type, so when he was told that he had to stay inside the house; he was utterly peeved.

Remus' thoughts went back to the old book that laid in his hands, suddenly he remembered that the book did not open for just anyone, indeed, it only opened at the owner's command, and even then it required some more convincing. 

Remus looked at the old leather bound book, in the center of the red leather cover there was a round emblem that looked somewhat like a sickle, only it was pure silver and perfectly rounded, the initials 'M.W.P.P' were engraved on the front in fancy lettering, the emblem looked old and tarnished now, not as Remus remembered it when it was highly polished and shiny. Remus wiped the emblem with the edge of his jumper and suddenly it gave off a warm glow, like it remembered the touch of one of its owners. Remus pulled his wand out and placed the tip of it on the centre of the emblem, with his wand tip placed in the centre he softly muttered his old nickname "Moony" and suddenly the emblem started to glow increasingly brighter, it glowed ever brighter until the engraved lettering on the emblem changed from 'M.W.P.P' to read 'Welcome Mr. Moony'. Then the lettering faded away and the book fell open to reveal the first page. 

All of a sudden words started to appear magically on the page, spreading out and down on the yellowing pages as if an invisible quill was gliding along it at break neck speed. The thing about this book was that it only opened at the reader's command of the password and that when it opened the writing on the pages appeared as if someone was writing it then and there, even though it had been written over twenty years ago. Remus started to read the first page, which was now full of words.


	2. The Memoirs of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot ...

**_Year: 1977, 7th Year…_**

****

**_MESSRS. MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT, AND PRONGS ARE PROUD TO PRESENT:_**

****

_**~~THE MEMOIRS OF MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT AND PRONGS~~**_

Mr. Padfoot most graciously welcomes you to the Memoirs of Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, pranksters extraordinaire and creators of the famed Marauder's Map

Mr. Wormtail would like to pronounce that you will be able to find here our memories, bits and pieces of things and lots of other stuff.

Including bits of fluff!

Mr. Moony wishes to declare that Mr. Padfoot is an exceedingly large git for writing something so inane.

Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to add that also featuring in our memoirs is Quote of the Day, a description of Myself, Wormtail, Padfoot and Moony, and hilarious events including the first trip on the Hogwarts express, pranking the Slytherins and other selected recollections. 

Mr. Moony articulates that also included are other important events consisting of things other then pranks and Slytherins.

Mr. Padfoot would like to register how boring Mr. Moony's proposition sounds.

Mr. Moony declares that it will not be boring, as there are more important things than pranking and Slytherins, Mr. Moony would also like to propose some sort of pact…

Mr. Prongs suggests that we start with _'we solemnly swear that we….'_

_***We solemnly swear that we will always be true friends, outside of Hogwarts or in, we will always stay loyal to each other, and will never betray each other's trust for anything. Forever we will always be Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.***_

Mr. Wormtail congratulates Mr. Padfoot on his pact.

Mr. Moony would like to express his astonishment that Mr. Padfoot could have come up with such an excellent pact. 

Mr. Prongs would like to make the pact official, and therefore begs that Mr. Moony, Mr. Padfoot, Mr. Wormtail and myself sign the parchment.

**Signed: **

**~~ Padfoot, Prongs, Moony, Wormtail~~**

**As told by Mr. Padfoot:**

_Quote of the Day: Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse behind_.

Greetings to you on this fine day. Welcome to The Memoirs of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. 

Prongs suggested that we start a journal so we can record our greatest moments together and our achievements so that we can read them when we get old and saggy (I hope that day doesn't come too soon, and personally, I'd rather not think about that), and we can read it to out great-grandchildren. So that's why we've started this journal. In case you were wondering… So, pull up a seat and read to your heart's content! Not that you should be reading anyway. Only precious few, (Me, Prongs, Moony, and Wormtail) have the power and authority to open this book.

If you are reading this it either means that:

a) We are all dead (Merlin forbid that!), 

b) One of us let you read this (Personally I can't see that happening), or 

c)  You are a sneaky little slimy git and have snuck in and read it of your OWN accord. 

Though a very clever git you must be, since, with my incredible talents I have placed a number of spells to keep people like you away. By now you must have very sore hands, or boils all over your face or something similar. If you have then good for you! Hope it hurts! Tell me when the stinging starts.

A word of warning, (not that I should be warning you), if you keep reading and don't know the password, warts will appear in other places, and let me just say, you don't want warts down there! So: CLOSE THIS BOOK!!

            Okay, now that all the sneaky gits are gone, (if you're not gone yet then I hope those warts and boils are giving you an immeasurable amount of pain! Just wait a little longer, you haven't experienced the worst of it, yes it gets worse!) I shall inform you that this is more a collection of short stories recounting past and present events then a journal.

Anyway, in this book thing you'll find our greatest and worst memories, also our greatest pranks to date, and everything else in between, oh, and we even have Quote of the Day, which is a nifty little thing that I made up, so if we hear a really good quote we'll put them in, (most of the time we can't think of many quotes so there might be a certain lack of them). 

Yeah anyway that's about it. Well we have decided to write about each other, other than writing about ourselves, that way a more unbiased view of each other can be shown, (or in some cases a more biased view!)

**Author's Notes: **Sorry that wasn't a very long chapter, but I'll be updating very soon, so don't worry!

Sirius' Sweetie- Yes, it's sad, don't worry, there won't be many more sad chapters, (well there might be I don't know yet!) well some parts are funny in this fic, but it's not all humourous.

Starviolinist179- Thankyou, I am glad you like it.

Rogue Misfit Marauder Jedi- Hehe. I'm glad you like it!

SiriusSara- Thankyou. I'll try not to!

Sinical-Sarchasm- Thanks. Keep reading!


	3. James Potter: Prongs

**Year: 1977, 7th Year…**

**Padfoot on Prongs: **

James Potter, Jay, Jimbo, Jamsie, Jim-Jam, Potter, Pothead, Potbrain, Pottie, Jam, or just plain Prongs if you like is an extraordinary Quidditch player.

There is absolutely no doubt about it.

Currently I am sitting high up in the stands on the Quidditch Pitch watching James zoom around the pitch, he's in training for the last game of the season- Gryffindor versus Slytherin, the fateful game that determines who wins the Quidditch Cup. Winning the final game means everything to James, it's his final and last game that he'll ever play at Hogwarts, he's been training every night for the past three weeks along with his team, but he tends to stay out much later than his team mates, training sometimes even until midnight or until McGonagall herself marches down to the pitch and tells him to 'get inside this instant'.

Not that Prongs needs to train, he's the best Quidditch player that I've ever seen, and I'm not just saying that because he's my best friend. Basically the whole school agrees with me, except for the Slytherins of course.

But they wouldn't know the difference between a good chaser and a fly if it flew in front of them waving flags and yelling 'Slytherins are idiots'.

Sometimes I hate it that James has all the talent on the Quidditch Pitch, he's the best flyer that Hogwarts has seen in centuries, and sometimes I wish that I could have that talent as well, I play Quidditch sometimes at James' place but I am nothing compared to him, it's hard to keep up with Hogwarts' best Chaser.

James is something of a hero at Hogwarts. He wants to win this game not only for the glory of the House Cup but because he wants to prove himself, he wants to show the world what he's capable of.

I think the only reason why he stays out flying on his broomstick so late is because this could possibly be the last time that he plays Quidditch, ever. He loves the feeling of being up in the air, with his worries slowly dwindling away; if he could he'd fly around all night.

I know he feels this way because he's described it to me countless times. It's exhilarating to hear him talk of flying, like there is nothing else in the world that matters to him at that moment except for getting on a broom and flying as high and far as humanly possible, without a care in the world. That's one of the things that I admire about James, when he's passionate about something, he's extremely passionate about it, nothing ever stops him from achieving it, and nothing can stand in his way, he's extremely resilient.

James has goals and morals that he's set in life and he will go that extra mile to achieve them. He gives everything he's got, the whole of himself and he won't stop until he's achieved it.

Although this is a great trait to have, sometimes it can get extremely frustrating. James just never gives up, like when Snivellus once challenged James to a duel in the middle of the night at the start of the year. James still wanted to go through with it, knowing perfectly well that he would be caught by Filch or McGonagall, he just didn't care as long as he didn't give Snivellus the satisfaction that James had been too scared of getting in trouble for him to go. In the end Moony had to threaten to tell McGonagall about it. It worked and James didn't go but his pride was surely hurt. The only reason James cared about Moony telling McGonagall was because James is Head Boy and his being Head Boy means that you have to act accordingly, so if Moony had told McGonagall about the duel then James would have been in danger of having his badge taken away. They take that sort of stuff very seriously here.

Another instance of when Prongs just wouldn't give up, is, of course, Lily Evans. James has liked Lily for ages, we've had to put up with him talking of Lily non-stop for four solid years now, and believe me, it is extremely annoying. Over the years we've done everything in our power to stop James going after and liking Lily, but nothing seemed to work; we even try to pay girls to seduce him in 5th year, and that failed miserably. We tried setting up dates for him with every girl imaginable, that didn't work either, we brewed love potions, they only worked for a week or so, and then wore off. No matter how hard we tried to change James' mind, he was in love with Lily, and nothing could sway his mind. As much as I love Jamie, it is extremely boring hearing about some girl non-stop for four years, and it is also annoying when he just doesn't give up on things when they're a danger to his pride. Sometimes he's just too proud for his own good.

His dad told me once that when James was five he got on his broomstick and tried to fly to the moon, not having any idea of the endless amount of space that he'd have to fly through to get there, not to mention the loss of air as you get higher up. I have no idea why he'd want to fly to the moon, when I asked him about it he got all embarrassed. Quite amusing really. Maybe he thought that the moon was made of cheese. He's always had a particular taste for cheese.

It's kind of sad to think that our days here at Hogwarts are slowly drawing to a close. Some of our best times were spent on these very grounds.

Neither James nor I know what we're going to do after Hogwarts but I doubt that James will ever fulfil his dreams of becoming a professional Quidditch player, because with the fight against Voldemort we want to be helpful to the good side. We want to fight the good fight. James hates the Dark Arts; he always has, especially since his close family friends died at the hands of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He wants to seek revenge.

It's so easy; the way people's lives can just end. One minute they're there, the next, they're gone for eternity. We're going to do everything we can to stop this happening to more innocent people.

"Hi", a voice interrupted my thoughts; I looked over to the source of the voice. It was Lily Evans. Standing there in her black school robes, cheeks slightly pink and her thick red hair tied in a ponytail, she looked down at me with bright emerald almond shaped eyes, then looked back up to watch James.

"Hi," I replied.

It isn't possible to describe James without mentioning Lily Evans- the current love of James' life. Or rather, the only love of his life. He's liked Lily ever since the first time he laid eyes on her. It started out innocent enough, we thought it was just an innocent crush that regular teenagers have on each other when they're young, little did we know that we'd be hearing about how beautiful her 'gleaming hair' and 'striking green eyes' were every night for the next four years.

And little did James know that Lily would hate him with a passion.

Until now, that is. Lily had always despised James for hexing people just because he could and thinking he was cool, as a matter of fact, when he used to ask her out she replied that she'd rather go out with the giant squid than James. Then, this year, everything changed, Lily started to get along with James, because he pulled his head in a bit and started to act more mature. Surprisingly enough Lily actually started to tolerate him; mainly because they were forced to since Lily is Head Girl and James is Head Boy. Then James did something really sweet for her, I'm not sure what, he didn't tell me, and he asked her out, she said yes, and now they are mad about each other. The rest is history.

"How long has he been out here?" Lily asked, looking up at James as she sat down.

"A couple of hours," I replied as I watched James flying around the goal posts, doing impressive stunts.

"I don't know how he does it," Lily said, still staring up at James.

"What?" I asked.

"How he can stay up there for so long, just flying."

"That's James. That's what he does."

Lily didn't reply, instead she gazed up at James with a wistful look in her eyes. I needed no more proof. This was genuine love.

After a while, Lily stood up and said bye, she left without another word.

James was still flying high up in the air, oblivious to everything around him; it was like the world had stopped for him. He doesn't notice anything when he is up on his broom, and yet, he notices everything. If that makes sense.

I guess by now you're probably wondering 'What the heck does this James Potter look like anyway?' Well, for one thing, he has extremely messy jet-black hair, it never lies flat, (no matter how much of Sleekeasy's Hair Potion you put in it, believe me, we've tried it. Many times). He likes his messy hair though, he has a habit of mussing it up every time Lily's around, I think he thinks that it makes him look 'cool', you know that 'I-Just-Got-Off-My-Broomstick look' (I'll never understand the ways of James Potter fully). James has hazel eyes, a thin face and black-rimmed glasses. He's also skinny and tall, (but not as tall as me of course).

It's not possible when describing James not to mention the fact that he's really intelligent. In fact, I think he's one of the smartest people at Hogwarts, (excluding the teacher's and myself of course!) Nah, actually, he's probably smarter then me, not that I'd _ever _tell him that. That's probably the main reason that he was chosen to become Head Boy, that and the fact that he's actually matured since he started at Hogwarts. The teachers see something in James that not many other people have.

All the teachers basically love James because he always gets top marks in all the subjects, especially Transfiguration. McGonagall really favours him, not that she'd ever admit it, because he gets top in transfiguration and he brings Gryffindor glory every time he walks onto the Quidditch Pitch. He's only ever lost a single game, and he had a good reason for it.

James' best subject is of course, Transfiguration, his wand is made for it, and he had to be good at it to become an Animagus, he was the first out of himself, Peter and I to achieve becoming Animagi, (shortly followed by myself, of course), Prongs' Animagus form is a stag obviously. I can still remember the day when James found out that his Animagus form was a stag; the conversation went something like this:

"I'm….. I'm…. a _stag_!" James said suddenly and excitedly.

"A stag? You mean a deer? The ones that live in the forest and stuff?" Peter asked.

"No the one's that live in igloos, of course they live in forests idiot," James said impatiently.

"The ones that _frolic _and _prance _around?" I asked teasingly.

"Shut up Sirius, deer don't frolic, they _cavort_, and anyway, it's a _stag _not a deer," said James quite insulted.

"Oh really? I thought they were the same thing, and that they _frolicked _around, you know, being _deer _and all," I teased.

"Shut up, you don't even know what you're form is yet, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a slug or something equally hideous," James grinned.

Yes, the conversation went something like that, (did I mention that I have an extremely good memory?), no, the first questions when we found out that James knew his Animagus form were not 'How do you know that?" "Why a stag?" It was something totally in a marauder tradition, some smart-arsed comment about James being a frolicking deer. That's just the way we are. I think that people aren't your friends if you can't make fun of them, not seriously teasing them, just having a laugh at them.

I really have no idea why James is a deer, I guess it's as Moony says, it's like an extension, a reflection of a person's character, it's like the wand chooses the wizard, it's the same with Animagus, the Animagus form chooses the person, not the other way around, the person doesn't actually have a choice as to what form they are.

So I gather that James likes frolicking.

No, okay, seriously, I don't know what stags are like, but I think it's because they come across as noble, respectable and decent. Which is exactly what James is. So it is in a way, an extension of his character. He is decent, even if he may not come across that way to some, he is decent to those whom are decent to him, he is respectable, and he has enormous loyalty and respect for people that are his friends.

If James had to choose between saving his own life or saving his friends lives I know that he'd without a doubt choose the latter. Just like any of us would do for each other.

I admire Prongs, perhaps more then anyone in my life, he's the only one who's made a real impact on me; he's made me realize things about life that no one else could have possibly made me appreciate, he's showed me precious lessons about life that I'll never forget, ever. He's taught me the true meaning of friendship, something that no one else could have shown me.

James is my brother. Well the only brother that I'll ever have. We've shared our best and worst moments with each other, he's been there for me when I've needed it most, he's the one I always turn to whenever I've needed something, he's never turned his back on me, we've had small trivial fights, but every time we make amends our friendship is all the more stronger for it. Most people will agree that it is rare to see James and I separated, we are always with one another, no matter where we are, or what we're doing, we are always together.

When I needed somewhere to go when I ran away from home James' family took me in, they treated me like a second son; they gave me the kind of family affection that my family would have never given.

They are my _real_ family, and I'm extremely grateful for it.

Though I love James' family, there _is_ one thing about his family that annoys me. Now don't get me wrong, I love and appreciate James' family as much as the next person (well more then the next person, actually), but to me, it seems that they are almost too perfect. James has the perfect, loving affectionate parents, and his parents have the perfect son. Though the problem with this is that they hide their feelings, they make out that they're the happiest family in the world but behind what you see and how they act you can never know what they're actually feeling. James is like that sometimes, he doesn't want to show that he's been hurt, or that something's hurt him because he's too proud, he hides his feelings to most people, and also to me. That's what annoys me, sometimes I wish that he'd tell me about what he is feeling but he doesn't because that would show people that James is just like the rest of us, and that he can be hurt as well. He doesn't want people to see this, because he sees it a weakness, he isn't one to wear his heart on his sleeve, so to say. I guess a lot of people are like that, Moony is definitely like that. But it still annoys me.

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm jealous of James' family. There, I said it. That's what really irks me, I hate it that James has the perfect family and I don't. He has loving parents; I have parents that'd slam the door in my face if I ever knocked on their door. I wish I could, just for one day, have parents like James, I wish I had parents that loved _me _for who I am, not hated me because of who I wanted to be. I'm grateful that James' parents took me in as a second son, but they aren't my real family, I wish that my own parents could be more like James'. Most of the time I really don't care that my parents hate me, in fact, I take pleasure in knowing how much they must despise me, but sometimes I wish that they could have loved me, that they could accept that I didn't want to be like them, that they could have been more loving and affectionate. But I guess _that _would be asking for a damn miracle.

James is probably the most popular guy at Hogwarts; he has everything that anyone would want; immense talent on the Quidditch Pitch, classic good looks, enormous courage, and he's one of the smartest people I know.

That's exactly why Severus Snape, (Also Known As Snivellus) is his worst enemy. Snape is envious of everything that James has become, and they both hate each other with a passion, ever since they laid eyes on each other they've loathed each other.

Its quite amusing actually to see James hex Snivellus right into next week, although James doesn't often do it just because he can; he does it because Snape can't just simply walk past James in a corridor and leave him alone, he can't resist cursing James any chance that he gets, so really, James is only defending himself. You can't really expect Prongs just to lay down for Snape and let him hex and curse the crap out of him. Snape is a little oddball that's up to his eyes in the Dark Arts, I remember when James and I first met on the Hogwarts Express and my cousins tried to introduce me to Snape, he knew more curses in his first year than all the sixth years put together. That's the main reason James hates Snape, James absolutely hates the Dark Arts and dark wizards so it's only natural that he would hate Snape, a freak whom immersed himself in the Dark Arts, as well, the feelings mutual for both of them.

"Hey," my concentration was interrupted for the second time, and I looked up to see James standing in front of me still wearing his Quidditch robes and a hand clutching his broomstick.

"Finished?" I asked as James sat down next to me.

"Yeah, I guess so," James said, wiping down his face on his robe sleeve, "what was Lily doing?" he asked.

"She came to watch you fly for a bit."

"Oh. I can't believe it's the last game tomorrow, it's almost too hard to believe," James gazed over the dark pitch with a poignant look in his hazel eyes.

"Yeah, James Potter's last flight."

"You know all these years we've been complaining about school, now I don't really _want _to leave."

"I know, I'm definitely going to miss Hogwarts, it seems like the only safe place around anymore," I replied.

"Yeah." We sat there in silence for a while, reminiscing, "Padfoot,"

"Yeah?"

"I've never really told you how much I appreciate… this…"

"What?" I asked, looking at James.

"This," he gestured around him, "you, just sitting there, waiting for me while I do my thing, and how you're always there for me, your the best friend that I've ever had, and I appreciate it," James looked at me with appreciation.

"Aw Prongs, don't go all sentimental on me now, we can't have our best Chaser crying his eyes out tomorrow," I mocked. I just couldn't keep serious in serious situations.

"Haha very funny, I'm _not _crying. But I do mean it. I appreciate you being there all the time, you're like a brother to me," James said.

"James, we _are _brothers, I don't have any other brothers except for you and the guys." I said, this time seriously.

James looked over at me and smiled, "Well what's Regulus meant to be then?" he asked sounding amused.

"Regulus? Who's _that_?" I asked with a feigned bewildered look on my face, James and I sat back and laughed. Of course Regulus _was _my brother, not by choice, but by blood, I don't really classify him as a brother though.

It doesn't matter that James' blood is not my blood, blood isn't even important when it comes to something like friendship; all that matters is that we share the same thing that has kept us together for all these years- the unbreakable bond of eternal friendship.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi! Thanks for reading! I have to explain a few things, well one main thing in particular. I know it says in this chapter that James is a CHASER, yes that was intentional if you were wondering.

In an interview J.K.R said that James Potter played the position of **Chaser**, (I can look it up for you if you really want ;)) so until J.K says otherwise James will be a Chaser in 'The Memoirs of MWPP'. It does not say in the books anywhere that James was a Seeker, I always thought he was a Seeker as well but was told otherwise, and I've read the interview. The only part where it says that James is a Seeker is in the first movie, but I consider J.K's own words in an interview to be more canon than the movie. So James Potter actually IS a **Chaser**. If you were wondering!

Thanks for listening! And please keep reviewing! I love you all!


	4. Peter Pettigrew: Wormtail

**Author's Notes: **Before you read the chapter hear me out okay! Well, as you guessed this chapter is about none other then Wormtail. Yes I know he's a traitorous good for nothing rat etc. So please don't write that in your review! (well if you really have to then…) I feel the same as most of you do about him. But, in the 7th year James, Sirius and Remus didn't know that he would betray them, and I don't think that they would have been friends with Peter (and included him on the Marauders Map) if he were a snivelling little freak & coward etc (well the coward part applies anyway). So in this fic they are all friends and I'm writing them like I think they would have been because they _didn't _know about Peter being a real traitorous rat, so that's why they are all friends, and they all get along and Peter's not a snivelly little thing. I really didn't want Prongs to write about him either, but I had to make some sacrifices and write it like it is. Okay, thanks for reading! Just read the chap! Lol.

**Prongs on Wormtail:**

The day has come (or should I say night?).

 Peter Pettigrew has finally confirmed that he isn't gay, and does, in fact, fancy the female species, well we sort of figured that out already, but it's good to get confirmation. Just now he came bursting into our dormitory room disturbing our normal nightly practices and making a general racket. (I was attempting homework, Sirius was talking about something, I can't remember what, I tuned out as soon as I heard the words 'pumpkin juice,' and Remus was immersed in a book) 

"What?" Sirius looked over at Peter who was bouncing up and down with excitement.

"I…I…. well you know Alinda?" Peter asked.

"Yes," I replied vaguely, if I correctly remember she was a clumsy blonde Hufflepuff in our year, nice girl, I think. Actually to tell you the truth I have no idea if she's nice or not, I only take notice of one girl and that's Lily, I only know of Alinda because Lily's mentioned her a couple of times.

"She kissed me!" Peter burst out, no longer able to contain his excitement.

Several things happened after Peter had said this, I for one half choked on the water that I was drinking, Sirius guffawed and Remus looked up from his book in disbelief.

"You're joking!?" Sirius asked disbelievingly.

"No! She-I was walking back to the Gryffindor tower when I ran into her and we fell over and then she just kissed me!" Peter said gleefully. 

"Wow. I never knew you had it in you Wormtail," Sirius looked at Peter with a newfound respect.

 "I can't believe it!" Peter exclaimed happily.

"Neither can we," Remus said mildly.

"I mean… she likes me!" Peter went on ignoring Remus' comment, "I thought she'd like you Sirius, or you James, not me!" Peter said as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"What about me?" Remus asked in mock offence. 

"Moony, no one likes you," I said jokingly, Remus pretended to cry.

"Yeah, anyway, I thought for sure that she'd like you Sirius, not me!" Peter said.

"Thank god she _doesn't _like me," Sirius murmured so only I could hear, I snorted.

"This calls for a celebration," I said putting down my glass of water, "our very own Wormtail has finally became an official member of the 'I-Kissed-A-Girl Club'," I said as Peter glowed red.

"We have one of those?" Remus asked, apparently amused.

"Yes, of course, haven't you noticed Sirius running around waving flags saying 'I-Kissed-A-Girl' and handing out badges?" I replied sarcastically.

"I'll go down to the kitchens, get a bit of food, and maybe some appropriate drinks for the celebration," Sirius stood up briskly and retrieved my Invisibility Cloak from my trunk. 

Remus snorted, "And what would you call _appropriate _Sirius?" he raised an eyebrow then continued, "just don't come back with six bottles of Firewhisky like you did last time," 

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

"Because we can't possibly drink that much! That's why!" Remus said, being the mother hen of the group.

"We managed it last time! Don't be a spoilsport Moony, it was heaps of fun!" Sirius said grinning.

"My idea of 'heaps of fun' does not include you vomiting all over me and claiming that you love McGonagall," Remus said wryly.

"I did _not _say that!" 

"Yes you did, you were just too drunk to remember it,"

"Oh shut up Moony, I'm going," Sirius said impatiently as he pulled on the Invisibility Cloak and made his way out of the door.

"Don't take too long," I yelled after Sirius, wanting to get on with the celebration.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Sirius said from somewhere down the stairs.

Once Sirius had gone Peter went on to babble about Alinda.

Peter has light-brown mousy hair, he is short, and a little on the pudgy side, a fact of which you shouldn't ever remind him of, as he can be sensitive when it comes to things like appearance. Though some of the girls at Hogwarts think he's the cute and cuddly type like 'little kid cute' as they call it, his chubbiness, blue eyes and light brown hair makes him look 'adorable' according to some girls, and he looks younger then Sirius, Remus or I, when in actual fact he's only a couple of months younger then us.

Peter inherits his chubbiness from his father (I've only ever met his parents once or twice at King's Cross Station) who is a bumbling little man with a round face, quite like Peter himself (appearance wise), he always means well but most of the time he is quite annoying and talkative (don't worry, Wormtail agrees with me on that one!). Peter's dad is a muggle, and Peter's mum, who is a witch, met his dad quite by chance (as I've been told from just five minutes of talking to him, I swear, he'd be able to get his entire family history out, ancestors and all, in just ten minutes). Peter's mother on the other hand is nice, but she's not that talkative, she's more like Peter in that sense, she's quite reserved, it's a wonder she gets on with his dad, but as they say: opposites attract, cheese and chalk. (Like Lily and I!). Wormtail also has one sister, whom is about five years old. I've only seen her once or twice as well, she's quite cute for five years old, she takes after her father in appearance, being a bit on the plump side.

Wormtail is smart when he wants to be, his best subject would be most definitely be Herbology, he's got a great knack for plants and stuff, although he's not as good at other subjects like DADA or Charms. 

He joins in all of our pranks and sometimes comes up with brilliant ideas that not even Sirius or me could have come up with. Wormtail is smart when it comes to logical things rather then magical ability, he has an excellent memory which comes in handy sometimes, especially when doing pranks, he basically remembers to bring all the right equipment when Padfoot, Moony or I would have forgotten totally about it. He's also good at remembering the more detailed aspects of things.

I remember in the first or second week of our first year when Sirius and I had just been caught pranking by McGonagall, Peter had covered up for us and we got out of serious trouble because of him, that's why we became good friends with Peter, and not only that but because he's always been friendly to us and he shares our love of causing mischief. At first Sirius wasn't keen on becoming Peter's friend, but over the weeks Sirius started to like Peter, you could say he grew on him. Since then Peter had proved to be a real true friend that we could always rely on.

Peter's Animagus form is a rat, that's how he got the nickname Wormtail, it's very handy having Peter as a rat because he can freeze the knot on the Whomping Willow easily without being knocked unconscious as Sirius or I would be.

Wormtail practically worships Sirius and I, we are like his mentors, and he looks up to us. I think it's pretty cool to have someone who holds you in such a high favour as Wormtail does with me, I mean, sometimes it can get a _tad _bit annoying, but most of the time it's flattering, because not all people think what Wormtail thinks of me. I know Sirius finds it annoying, that's why Wormtail likes me better than Sirius… (That was a joke, in case you hadn't noticed), Sirius gets really irritated if Wormtail flatters him too much; which can be quite funny.

Peter is so different to any of us, he's very shy and timid, though over the years he's become more open and has come out of his shell a bit.

Peter isn't as courageous or noble as normal Gryffindors; sometimes I wonder how he ever got into Gryffindor, but Peter is loyal and noble in his own right, just because he's not courageous when it comes to standing up to his peers it doesn't mean that he isn't courageous in other situations. Peter just needs a little push in the right direction, some encouragement to get going every once in a while. He's easily discouraged so he needs encouragement occasionally, he doesn't trust his own decisions most of the time, and he also tends to be insecure. Once Sirius suggested that Wormtail should go on a diet and we couldn't stop him from crying for like half an hour, that was sometime in the second year though, and Sirius has learnt his lesson from that experience. May he never suggest that Peter go on a diet again.

The thing about Peter is that he becomes easily nervous, and when he's nervous he can talk quite a bit, it can be quite amusing really, though it rarely helps in certain situations, like whenever we try to talk our way out of detention. Just the other day in fact he got us into even more trouble than when we were originally caught in, for example:

"Just what do you think you're doing!?" McGonagall's asked furiously, nostrils flaring, a sure sign that she was extremely pissed off.

"Er, we were, ah, re-decorating?" Sirius suggested.

I looked around the now chaotic library; open books covered the floor, shelves had been knocked down and everything was generally in a chaotic mess. McGonagall glared down at Peter, Remus, Sirius and I as we stood there, trying our best to pull off the whole 'innocent' look, which wasn't working too well.

"Explain yourselves immediately!" McGonagall demanded. 

No one answered. Until…

"Well, P…. P…Professor," I groaned, Peter was going to try to explain, this could get us into an even worse situation then before. I trod on his foot to stop him from talking but this had no effect, he started to blabber on, "Sir, I m…mean Miss, Professor…we…w…were just looking f…f…for a book… and… a big gust… of w…wind came along and knocked everything down!" Peter said.

"Gusts of winds do not knock down _shelves _Mr. Pettigrew!" McGonagall said in a loud angry voice, causing Peter to jump back a couple of steps.

"What Peter _meant,_" Sirius started, giving Peter a glare, "was that a gust of wind made the _parchment _fly around everywhere."

"That does not explain the _shelves_!" McGonagall fumed.

"W… well…. Y…you wouldn't believe it," Peter stammered, "but some Slytherins came in and knocked down the shelves," I almost slapped my forehead in vain, this was going from bad to worse, at this rate we'd have detention for a month. 

"How dare you try and place the blame on other students!" McGonagall glared at Peter.

"It's true! They came racing in here and knocked things over," Remus stuck up for Peter.

"They came racing in on broomsticks…and then they got away before you could catch them, lucky, r…really, they were lucky, we were just s…sitting here and they came along and knocked everything down… and... a…and then they went and they went really fast…and they got away-" Peter babbled on, wringing his hands together.

"Mr. Pettigrew! I've heard quite enough of your lies!" McGonagall shouted. Peter jumped again. I don't know why he wouldn't just shut up then and there. But no, he went on…

"Professor, I'm not lying, its true, it's all true, they came in here and knocked things over, so we'd get the blame for it, then they… they left and we were left here… and then you came along… and you'd think it was… us… that did it… and that's what they wanted… the Slytherins… so that we'd get in trouble for it and…and…" Peter squeaked, he was breathing fast and his face was shining with sweat.

"Shut UP Peter!" Sirius yelled, no longer able keep quiet and let Peter make more trouble for us, he glared at Peter as Peter jumped back yet again, "Professor McGonagall, Peter doesn't know what he's talking about, you see, he's a bit _delusional _if you know what I mean-"

"That's quite enough both of you! Be QUIET this instant! I don't want to hear any more from any of you! I am disgraced at your behavior as Gryffindor students! Detention for a month and 20 points _each _from Gryffindor, now get back to your beds this instant!" McGonagall yelled then stormed off. We all turned to Peter and glared. 

So that's what happens when Peter gets nervous, he blabbers on and makes up the most far-fetched stories and gets us into even more trouble then what we were in to begin with. In other situations it's quite funny, but in situations like that it's just damned annoying. 

Amazingly, there have been a couple of times where Peter's nervous blabbering got us out of serious trouble.

Sirius, Peter and I were all standing in Dumbledore's office… Awaiting our suspensions or worse, _expulsions_.

"Take a seat please," Dumbledore said as he conjured up three chairs. 

We sat down sullenly.

"Now, from what I understand you were found in front of the Whomping Willow. _What_ may I ask, didyou think you were doing there exactly?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow gravely.

Before Sirius or I could answer Peter spoke up, "Well Professor… Sir… we were… we were…" Peter fumbled for an explanation, if he kept going this could end up even worse than before, but before we could say something Peter continued, "we were… going to see Remus." Peter said finally. 

My jaw dropped. 

Peter had just told the worst thing thinkable to Dumbledore. What would Dumbledore do now he knew that we knew that Remus was a werewolf? It was bad enough that we had been caught outside the Whomping Willow  and on the grounds after curfew but now Peter had just told Dumbledore what we were doing.  
  


Sirius looked at Peter in disbelief, then spoke up, "Peter doesn't know what he's talking about Sir, what he _meant _to say was-"

"I'm sure Peter can talk for himself Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew, please continue," Dumbledore looked at Peter through his half-moon spectacles.

"We… we know about Remus being a werewolf…" Peter said.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, "indeed…"

"Yes," Peter said, "we've… we've known since 2nd Year… and we only wanted to go and see him… he… he… told us how horrible his transformations were and we wanted to make them less horrible…we…we…"

"Mr. Pettigrew you, Mr. Black and Mr. Potter are undoubtedly the most courageous, dim-witted wizards that I've ever met." 

Peter blushed, "Sir, we only wanted to help our friend… he was in pain… and… we couldn't stand it…"  
  


"Did it never occur to you that coming into contact with Mr. Lupin in his transformed state would be extremely dangerous, and could have resulted in your being bitten or your own deaths?" Dumbledore looked at us gravely.

"Y…Yes… Professor, but… but… we thought that maybe he would recognise his friends… we thought we could h… help him… we… wanted to help him…" Peter babbled.

"No-one, I repeat, _no-one_, can help Remus Lupin in his transformed state, you all should know that very well."

"Yes… but… we couldn't stand it any longer Professor… Remus was looking so awful after the last two full moons, and his transformations have been getting worse… he could have died…we wanted to help him…"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "that is very courageous of you, and for the mere fact that you would put your own lives in danger for that of your friend you will not be suspended or expelled as Mr. Filch has suggested…" 

We all let out a loud sigh of relief. I couldn't believe it. Peter had actually talked our way out of trouble!

"However," Dumbledore looked down at us, "I can not impress more on you the dangerousness of what you were attempting. You will never try such a thing in future lest you _want _to be punished further. Do I have your word on that?" Dumbledore looked at us inquiringly.

"Yes Sir," we all said hastily.

"You are free to go," Dumbledore stood up and indicated the door.

Peter, Sirius and I stood up and walked out the door.

So there is at least one instance where Peter's nervous blabbering got us out of trouble. 

Even though Peter can make mistakes and get us into more trouble his heart is in the right place, (that would be somewhere on the left side of his chest; I hope), he's still a great friend and needs to be looked after, he's the baby of the group, so we find it our responsibility to look after him sometimes and stick up for him, especially against the Slytherin gits. If Peter didn't have friends like us to help him I'd hate to see where he'd be without us. So that's Peter basically, a cute and cuddly little kid at heart that is typically insecure and needs a nudge or two in the right direction every once in a while. 

We've taken it as our role to look after Peter, not because he's especially weak, but because he isn't as strong as the rest of us-he's the baby of the group, the one that needs someone to guide him, someone who can help him out every once in a while. 

And I'm glad that Sirius, Remus and I can do that for him.

Snuffles2984- Thankyou! I'm glad you like it. I nearly made you cry? Wow. Sorry 'bout that lol. Keep reading.

EloraCooper4- Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like it. Glad you liked the quote of the day! Yay, I got you hooked te he. Glad you like the way Sirius wrote about James and my frolicking line, I love that line! Thanks again!

Sirius' Sweetie- Hey! I'm glad you like it, keep reviewing! Though you mightn't have liked this chapter too much! Lol.

Rogue Misfit Marauder Jedi (can I call you RMMJ from now on? lol)- Thanks. I will.

Galadreial- Thankyou. I'll go check out your stories soon. Yes they are very much more mature lol!

Sinical-Sarchasm- Sirius was never your favourite character? Tsk tsk. I'll soon change that. Hehe.  I'm glad you like it. I love your comments! And you liked how I wrote Remus and Sirius? I just picture them as having a joke about each other (all of them) and teasing each other and just generally being funny, but not in a hurtful way. So I'm glad you liked how I wrote it. 

This parrot has ceased to be- Thankyou! I'm glad you like the idea and how it's turning out. Yes that last bit was fluffy, lol. 

The Merciless Torturer- Don't cry! I have the power to make people cry?! Oh oh. Lol. Keep reading.


	5. Remus Lupin: Moony

**Author's Notes: **It's the ever loved and adored Moony! I know a lot of you love Moony, so I hope you like this chapter; this is for all the Moony lovers out there, (Come on all you Moony lovers, I know you _all _love him, who doesn't?). I didn't really want Wormtail to write this chapter but I had to make some sacrifices, but Wormtail's not so bad as a school-boy. Please review! 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Wormtail speaks of Moony:**

Remus J. Lupin is the Hogwarts resident werewolf. Moony is his nickname, I'm sure you'd be able to guess why. Ever since we found out about Remus being a werewolf we've called him Moony, and I guess we got so used to it that the name kind of stuck, and now he isn't known as anything else other than Moony or Remus. At first Remus hated the nickname 'Moony', he always used to hate us calling him that, but when he sort of worked out that we weren't really going to call him anything other than 'Moony', he gave up complaining about it. I think he's grown quite fond of the name over the years, so he is now known as 'Moony'; other nicknames Sirius and James sometimes call him are Moon-Man, Moon-Boy, Wolf-Man, Rem, Reemie, Wolfie, Lupin, Loopy or Loony, Sirius and James being who they are call him these names on occasion.  

When we found out about Remus being a werewolf James came up with the idea of becoming Animagi, Remus wasn't originally going to tell us about his lycanthropy but Sirius and James initially worked it out and we confronted Remus about it. He thought that we would have abandoned him if we knew about his condition, when James and Sirius finally convinced him that we wouldn't James had the idea of becoming Animagi a couple of days later.  

I only say James and Sirius because at first when Sirius worked out that Remus was a werewolf and told us, James and Sirius were absolutely okay about it, whereas I wasn't too alright about Remus being a werewolf, the more I though about it the more uncomfortable I got. I know now that whatever Remus is, be it werewolf, monster or anything, it doesn't matter one bit because he's a great friend and that's what counts, but back in second year I didn't see that. To tell you the truth, I was slightly scared, I mean, wouldn't you be? To have thought you knew this person for a whole year, and then you find out that he turns into a monster that tries to kill humans once a month., I mean it's pretty astonishing to find out something like that about a friend that you thought you truly knew. After a while, I began to see past the werewolf and see that Remus was just as normal as the rest of us, and that he was just a normal person with normal tendencies. But it was harder for me to do this than it was for James or Sirius because, I mean, it's quite a scary thing to find out about. I don't know exactly why I was scared, because Remus goes to the shack to transform so he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, but I used to come up with wild 'What if's', like what if one night he managed to escape the shack and try to kill people? Or what if he didn't go to the shack when he was due to transform and something terrible happened. I know they are very far-fetched and unlikely but I always thought that there was some small possibility of something terrible happening. But as I said, I got over this fear after a while because I saw how stupid I was being and resolved to try and become an Animagus to help Remus. 

Becoming Animagi is no easy feat, there are several complex steps to finally become one, and it took us the better part of three years to work it out. James is a stag, Sirius is a dog, and I am a rat. In our Animagus forms we can keep Remus company and he becomes less wolf-like when he has us there to keep his sanity when he transforms, werewolves only harm humans so it's safe for us to be with him in the form of animals. Moony received the werewolf bite when he was very small.

Remus' parents both are wizards, his mother is a muggle-born, but she was accepted to Hogwarts and there she met his father, they got married and had Remus. Remus' parents are very supportive of him, when he received the werewolf bite they tried absolutely everything to find a cure (without any luck), but they still helped him out and were there for him when he needed them the most, they still help him a lot now if he needs it. Remus is an only child. Moony's parents are both very nice and polite, but sometimes they can be a little _too _overprotective of Remus, especially his mother, she's always worrying about her only child. Like one time when we came to get Remus for a bit of a get together we didn't get away until half an hour later because she was asking all kinds of questions and making sure he'd be alright. For Example: "Where are you going?" "How long will you be gone?" "But why do you have to have a get together so far away Remus dear?" "Are you _sure _you'll be all right?".  Remus definitely gets his mother hen tendencies from his mother, though they aren't as bad as hers (thank Merlin). Remus' parents live in a lodge on the edge of a wood in the countryside, Sirius, James and I have been there a couple of times in the summer holidays. 

Remus inherited his light brown hair from his father, it's sort of the colour of caramel and I noticed that he's got a couple of strands of gray hair, that's because of his lycanthropy, well that's what he says anyway, his eyes are a hazely greenish colour, with a tinge of amber, I think that's partly due to him being a werewolf, his eyes take on a hint of amber such as those of a wolf, though it's only noticeable if you look very closely.

Moony is a serious chocoholic, I swear, he eats the stuff every day, not that that's bad or anything, but I myself, like a wider range of sweets. It all started when Madam Pomfrey kept making him eat blocks of chocolate the day after his transformations; she practically shoved the stuff in his mouth, now he just eats it out of habit. I still remember when James suggested to Moony that he join chocoholics anonymous; it went something like this:

"Are you _still _eating that stuff?" James nodded to a bar of half eaten chocolate that Remus was clutching on to.

"Yes," Remus said as he took another bite.

"But it's about two weeks after your transformation, you don't _need _to eat it," James said.

"So? I happen to like chocolate,"

"It's a wonder you're not the size of Peter by now," Sirius snickered.

"Hey!" I said indignantly.

"Honestly Moony, you should consider joining Chocoholics Anonymous," James said.

"And _you_," Remus stopped eating and frowned at James, "should consider joining Stupid Idiots That Don't Know What They're Talking About Anonymous," Remus finished, then took another bite of his chocolate.

James started laughing, "Can't you think of a better comeback then that Moony? I mean honestly, even Sirius' comebacks are better then that," James teased.

"That wasgood enough!" Remus said, still chewing.

"Well, at least now I know what to buy you for Christmas," James said.

"What?"

"The book called 'Cool Comebacks For Dummies', I think I seen one in a Muggle shop once," James, Sirius and I burst out laughing.

Remus really has a problem with eating too much chocolate, it's a wonder he's not sick of it by now, oh well, to each his own I guess.

Its weird to think that if Dumbledore hadn't become Headmaster when he did Remus wouldn't even have been able to come to Hogwarts, and James, Sirius and I would never have met him, and we would have never become Animagi or we wouldn't be as close to each other as we are now. So when it comes down to it Remus is the sole reason that we are all such close friends, even though we might have been anyway without him, but he is the reason that we are all great friends.

The most annoying thing about Moony would be that he is almost always cool, calm and collected (as they say). In the most unnerving situations he is absolutely composed, even when we get into trouble, and McGonagall is yelling her head off at us, Remus just stands there with an annoyingly calm air about him while everyone else is extremely nervous. I don't know how he does it, always being so calm in every situation. He's learnt to hide his emotions very well I've figured out, you don't know what he's feeling or thinking unless you ask, and most of the time he doesn't tell anyone anyway. 

I think that Remus just likes to be liked, he loves having people around him that like him when they know who he really is, because mostly if someone finds out that you're a werewolf they're not going to like you for much longer, and we were the first people that wanted to still know Remus after we found out about him so he appreciates that. He distances himself from others quite often because he doesn't want people to find out about his lycanthropy, he keeps to himself quite a bit.

That's one of the reasons why Remus hasn't had many relationships (love-wise), I believe that he thinks he can't because he doesn't want to get too close to someone and lie about the fact that he's a werewolf, he doesn't want to hide something as big as that to a person that he loves. He also thinks that they'll reject him and they could tell everyone if he were ever to tell a person that he was a werewolf, so generally he stays away from relationships. I mean, he's had a couple of snogs here and there I think, but he's never been in a serious relationship. He's scared of letting people know the real him, and he's scared that the person he's having a relationship with will find out about him being a werewolf on their own. He doesn't want a close relationship because there's always a danger of that happening. Because we all became close friends throughout the second year we figured out about him being a werewolf, and Remus doesn't want someone else to figure it out.

Another thing about Remus is that he's a very forgiving person, and very understanding, he listens to people when they have problems, I go to him sometimes to talk and he listens.  He is very kind-hearted and has gentle manners.

Remus is also very smart, he studies a fair bit, that's why we always borrow his notes, he's the only one that takes them in class most of the time. An example is like what happened the other day.

Remus, James and I were all sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor common room when the portrait hole opened to reveal Sirius.

"Moony! Just the person I was looking for!" Sirius said as he sat down on a chair.

"What do you want now?" Remus asked, knowing instantly that Sirius wanted something or other. 

"What makes you think I want something?" Sirius asked.

"Because you always say that when you want something," Remus replied.

"Am I that predictable?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"Yes," James said promptly.

"Shut up Jamsie, anyway, Moony, old buddy, old pal, buddy old pal old buddy-"

"What do you _want _Sirius?" Remus asked impatiently.

"Well, Moony old buddy old pal, what I wanted was to borrow your Defense Against The Dark Arts notes," Sirius said with a puppy dog look in his eyes.

"You borrowed them yesterday!" Remus said, trying to ignore the notorious puppy dog look.

"Yes, I know, but I need them again, to check something because I think I did something wrong and I need to have a look," Sirius said with a hopeful look in his eye.

"Since when have you cared if something's wrong anyway Padfoot?" James asked.

"Once again Jamie, shut up. Anyway, please Moony," Sirius looked at Remus with the infamous puppy dog look once again.

"Where's your essay?" Remus asked.

Sirius pulled out a very crumpled piece of parchment from his robe pockets; he placed it on the table in front of him and smoothed it out, (which didn't make the slightest difference whatsoever.)

"See, I don't know if this part is right," Sirius indicated a paragraph halfway down the page, "and if you just let me borrow _your_ notesthen I could check it,"

Remus gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Give it here," Remus said, indicating the essay.

Sirius' eyes lit up "really?"

"Yes" Remus grunted, "I'll check it for you, but this is the _last_ time". 

"Thank you Moony! I don't know what I'd do without you!" Sirius grinned and handed him the crumpled piece of parchment, "I knew I could count on you! You're the best! I love you!"

James made a retching noise.

Sirius slapped him upside the head, "Not in that way you idiot."

"I'm heartbroken," Remus said sardonically.

Remus went on to check Sirius' essay and Sirius goofed around.

That's usually the way it goes. Remus always says that it's for the last time but then the next day he'll check something for Sirius, James or I again. Remus always gives in and helps us with our homework or gives us notes to copy out, he doesn't really approve of that kind of thing but in the end he gives in and lets us have them, that's the sort of person he is, he'd probably do anything for us if we asked, (and not just homework type of things) because he feels so lucky that he has a group of friends like us. I feel so lucky that I have a friend like Remus. 

Remus is one of the best friends that I'll ever have, in a way he's sort of like an older brother to me because he's always there for me, and he looks out for me when I want him to or need it, he, like Sirius and James, is extremely loyal and would do anything to help his friends, though he may seem distant to us at times he still is a great friend and I really appreciate having him around.

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The Merciless Torturer- Don't cry! Yes it is sad that Wormtail turns into the traitor. 

This parrot has ceased to be- Thank you, glad the Wormtail chap wasn't too fluffy for you ;). 

Destiny13- Lol. Thank you, I'm glad you like the idea. Yes you should _try _and do some work. Lol.

ScaramoucheJay- Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Yes, Wormtail can't have been a Snivelly git all his life. I'm glad you like the way I wrote him. 

RMMJ- Thank you, I'm glad you like my version of Peter, see he's not all bad. (Okay, well maybe he is)

EloraCooper4- Thanks, yes, I really should stop updating so quickly, but I can't help it, lol, I like getting reviews, I want more! Muhahaha. Ahem, anyway, you liked the section on his bumblings? Good, that was fun to write about! Yes it's going to end after I post the chapter about Moony….. muhahahaha, (I really should stop doing that hey?) No of course it's not going to end! After I post the Moony chappie it goes back to when they're in their first year and continues through the 2nd 3rd 4th etc, so far I've written up to into their 2nd year. Phew, that's a lot to write!

Caitlin- Sorry for making you cry, lol. I'm glad you're reading my story.

Snuffles2984- Thank you, glad you thought it was funny. Lol. See I updated!

Sinical-Sarchasm- Thankyou, I can portray character's like that? Great! Yeah, I'm a bit like that too with Wormtail, I feel sorry for him then I read again the force of what he's done to the Potters and hate him. I like Peter as a school kid though, it's after school where he goes bad. I just had a look at your page, you've written 59 fics O_o. Far out! Where do you get the inspiration for them all? I was going to read some but there are so many there I don't know which one!

Galadreial- Thank you. I didn't want to leave Peter out of the story just because I don't like him, because what would the point of that be anyway? He had to have been all right for MPP to like him in his school years.

Neoma- Thank you very much! 


	6. Sirius Black: Padfoot

**Author's Notes: **Hello again :o). Well here it is: the chapter on our beloved Sirius Black or Padfoot. Just a small note to you: this chapter is a tad fluffy, (well, the ending in particular). This was the first descriptive chapter that I wrote, (because I love Padfoot!), and this is for all you Padfoot lovers out there, (I know there are a lot of you, because who in their right mind _don't _love Padfoot in some small way?). Of all the 'marauders' Sirius is my favourite, Moony coming a close second, so this was a fun chapter to write, even though it makes me sort of sad. And I don't believe he's dead. I'm in denial; so don't wreck it for me! (I can't admit it) Please review! Padfoot love all around!

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**Moony speaks of Padfoot:**__

Sirius Black, the gray-blue eyed, black haired, rebellious teenager otherwise known as Padfoot is a regular attention seeking pain in the arse.

 Okay, well maybe that was a bit harsh, but right now it's proving to be especially true. 

You would think, that after changing into a dog over 500 times you would get sick of it. 

Apparently not. 

Well, not for someone like Sirius anyway. Prongs, Wormtail, Padfoot and I just came back from dinner, and it is my duty to try and tell you about Sirius, but Sirius, being Sirius, is changing into a dog every five seconds causing me to get distracted every five seconds, and hence me not writing anything at all. Don't laugh, you'd get distracted too if you seen an almost full grown person transform into a dog. I can't work out whether he likes doing it or if he just does it to annoy us. The latter would be the more likely option. (Oh and if you're wondering why Sirius can turn into a dog anyway, it's because he's an Animagus- long story) Sirius loves annoying people - something that is in his second nature. Sometimes he's like a little kid, doing things just to spite others.  He also has these days, which are surprisingly becoming more frequent, where I think that he is actually starting to act more like a mature adult. And then, well, then he just acts the complete opposite, causing anyone around him to think he is a complete maniac. 

Which he is, of course. 

Unfortunately I've known Sirius for around seven years. (Just joking). And as much as this might inflate his ego, I'm exceedingly glad of his friendship. In the second year when Sirius, James and Peter found out that I was a werewolf they did not, like I thought they would, desert me. Instead, they did the very thing only true friends would have done. They became Animagi to make my transformations more bearable, so they could be with me when I became a wolf. They couldn't be with me as humans so they wanted to be with me in another form. In the form of an animal. 

Sirius' Animagus form is a dog (as stated before). It reflects his character extremely well; he has a very playful nature, he's friendly, (when he wants to be), he's very loyal and devoted to those whom he loves, he's protective (of his friends), he has an excellent sense of smell (which is very useful sometimes), and he likes to randomly lick things. 

"I do not randomly lick things Moony!" Padfoot said abruptly, reading over my description, finally getting bored of turning into a dog because our attention had turned to more important and interesting things.

I just laughed; it is quite funny when Sirius gets indignant about things. Anyway, back to my description of Sirius. As I said he's extremely loyal and protective. For example when someone says something like 'Stupid half-breeds,' he hexes them right into next week. That, to me, is what a true friendship is all about. And I'm extremely grateful for it.

As much as I hate to admit it, Sirius is also a regular good-looking guy, well, that's the general consensus of the girl population at Hogwarts. He has the classic aristocratic 'Black' good looks. It's nauseating to see clusters of dreamy-eyed girls eyeing off Padfoot everywhere he goes, (and I wouldn't doubt if certain males eyed him off also!). He doesn't seem to mind though; in fact he enjoys all the attention. He loves being in the limelight. 

That's not to say that he's the male gigolo of Hogwarts. Far from it, when he finds someone that he wants, he stays loyal to them, but if he's single he enjoys the attention. 

There is a deep dark mysterious factor about Sirius that attracts the whole female population of Hogwarts to him, that and the fact that he's a 'bad boy' and they think he's 'hot' *scoff*. I wonder what sort of charm he had to put on them all to think that.

Seriously, all he has to do is flash someone his trademark grin and they fall desperately in love with him. I wish I had that sort of effect with people, but no such luck. 

Another trademark of Sirius' is the infamous 'puppy-dog-look', whenever he wants something or tries to get away with something he gives people the puppy-dog-eyes look, I swear, he just looks at you in this way and you start to feel sorry for him and before you know it he's got you wrapped around his little finger. I admit that I have, on occasion, done something for him because of that look. And it's so easy for him to do it as well because his Animagus form is a dog. He's got the whole thing down pat.

Sirius is capable of getting away with anything, he turns up late for class, doesn't hand his homework in until its been overdue for two months (maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea), he hardly ever studies, and yet he still gets top marks in nearly _all _subjects. How he does this is completely beyond me. He's pretty smart and he hardly ever studies for anything! Maybe he has some kind of hidden power or something. Or maybe he had to seduce all the teachers… Eww

If you're wondering where Sirius' name comes from, well he's named after a star, the one in the Canis Major constellation. He unfortunately doesn't have a middle name. Which came as a disappointment to James and I, because if his middle name had been Orion, well just imagine how many times we could have teased him about it. S.O.B. Or if his middle name had been Lee, it would have been Sirius Lee Black. But no, it's just Sirius. 

Apparently the star Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, a fact Sirius has been only too kind to remind us of five thousand times a day ever since he found out in Astronomy one day in our second year. No matter how many times I told him that's it's the brightest star in the sky only second to the sun he still keeps on telling us over again, apparently his parents failed to tell him that the brightest star in the sky was named Sirius. 

Which doesn't come as a big surprise, as Sirius' parents are well… extremely unpleasant, to say the least, I've only seen them a couple of times at the start of the year on Platform 9 ¾, but that was enough for me. They'd scare the pants off anyone whom received their notorious 'I'm-going-to-kill-you-glare' (that's what Sirius calls it anyway), on one such occasion at the start of the year his mother gave me the I'm-going-to-kill-you-glare just because I said 'hi' to Sirius, no doubt she didn't want Sirius hanging around with 'riff-raff' like me. Apparently they are all a 'bunch of pure-blood idiots that don't have any idea about anything' to quote Sirius' exact words. 

According to Sirius the only decent one in their family is his cousin Andromeda. She ran away from home a few years ago to get married to a muggle-born named Ted Tonks; she has a little girl named Nymphadora who should be about 2 years old now. 

It's no wonder Sirius ran away from his home when he was sixteen, basically Sirius and his parents had a huge row about him hanging out with 'half bloods' and 'blood traitors' (namely: us) and about some other things, I think that was the last straw for him, he couldn't take it anymore so he got out.  His parents were already pretty peeved (to say the least) that Sirius was sorted in Gryffindor and not Slytherin in the first year, and they became even more pissed off when he started to hang out with us, otherwise known as 'half-bloods' 'blood traitors' or 'dirty half breeds'. That's the thing with Sirius' family, they are all descended from pure-blood lineage, they are all completely untainted pure-bloods, and they are extremely proud of it, so when Sirius practically went against everything that they believed in they were very pissed off. 

So now Sirius has his own place, which he got not long ago in the last holidays, when his uncle died and left him a decent bit of money. Sirius bought a flat in London, it's pretty cool, James, Peter and I stayed there last holidays, it's so good to be free like that, and not have anyone telling us what to do all the time, Sirius absolutely loves living on his own. He loves the freedom of it all. That's the thing about Sirius, he's very much his own person, he's very independent and doesn't rely on other people for anything if he can help it, nor does he expect people to help him.  The only thing that he doesn't like about where he lives is that it's in a muggle neighbourhood, not that that's a bad thing, except that he has to be extra careful when he's doing magic. Which is a bit of a worry because if you haven't noticed the words 'Sirius' and 'careful' don't exactly fit together, Sirius is known for being reckless at times. 

Sirius is the daredevil of the group, the reckless, rebel one that doesn't think twice about things. Padfoot doesn't know the meaning of the saying 'look before you leap,' he doesn't think things through, instead, a lot of time he acts on impulse.

For example there was this one incident in the fifth year when Sirius told Snape how to get into the Whomping Willow and see where I went all the time, knowing full well what kind of danger this put Snape in, luckily Snape only glimpsed me at the end of the tunnel before James pulled him back. I'll never forget that incident. The fact that I could have nearly killed someone scares the hell out of me, and it was all due to Sirius' recklessness.  I can't help blaming myself for it in some way or another though. 

We've never really gotten over that incident, though we never talk about it now, (we try not to mention it, it'd just bring up bad feelings). I didn't talk to Sirius for ages and when I did it took a while to get our friendship back on track. Of course Sirius kept apologizing and trying to do everything he could to make things up, but how can you become friends again with someone who has violated your trust so severely? I felt absolutely betrayed and violated.  I mean, as much as I respect Sirius now, it was a _very_ hard thing to forgive. 

Sirius may be rebellious, erratic, impulsive, and not make the best of decisions at the best of times but he is also a very faithful and trustworthy friend. To me he's like the brother I never had and I love him dearly.  

I respect and love all my friends. Ever since that day in the second year when they found out that I was a werewolf and never deserted me, that was a turning point in our friendship. I feel like the luckiest person in the world just because I have people at the end of the day who can understand a small part of what I'm going through, who I can turn to when things get tough, and who I can count on for anything when I need it, I know that if I asked them to they'd risk everything for me, just the same as I would do for them. And that is more then I can say for some.

"So Sirius, what do you want to be when you get older?" I asked in my attempt at describing his personality.

"Well, an Auror wouldn't be too bad, I guess that's really the only thing that I would want to do, with Voldemort gaining power, and everything," he explained, looking up from his homework eagerly, no doubt he wanted something else to do. Yes, Sirius actually does homework, on occasions, only because James was doing it and he couldn't find anything else to do though.

"What are your nicknames?" I asked.

"You know them already Moony," Sirius said.

"Just answer the question," 

"Padfoot, Paddy, Pad, Black," 

"And the other one?" I asked smirking.

"I don't have _another_ one," Sirius said with a warning look in his eye.

"What, so you mean _Siri _isn't your nickname?" I asked teasingly.

"You know it's not _Moon-Man_, and if you call me that again I might just have to hurt you, which I really don't want to," I laughed, Sirius hated when we called him Siri, apparently it wasn't masculine enough to qualify as a nickname. Secretly though, I don't think he minds, just as long as no one else hears us calling him it. 

"Oh, I think it's quite cute," James teased; now paying more attention to our conversation then his homework, "don't you think Wormtail?" James asked Peter, who was sitting on the floor.

Peter nodded from his position on the floor.

"Yeah, and I think _Jamsie_, _Reemie _and _Petie _are just _adorable _too," Sirius said.

Sirius is also known for being very sarcastic and cynical, that's just the type of person he is. There are so many different traits to one person it's hard to describe them all, especially with Sirius, he's so erratic. 

"What the hell does erratic mean?" Sirius asked, now watching over my shoulder.

"Changeable, inconsistent, variable, capricious, impulsive, spontaneous-"

"Okay okay, that's enough. I get the point Moony, can't you put something good about me in there? I mean, what happens when my kids or something read it, it'll set a bad example," Sirius said.

James snorted, "Padfoot, when have you ever worried about setting bad examples?"

"What, I always worry about it, can't you tell? I'd absolutely smashingly hate it if my future children got the wrong idea about me and took my bad examples as some kind of indication that they could follow them," Sirius mocked.

"Yeah sure," James laughed.

"No, seriously Moony, how many sentences in there say _good _things about me? Two?" 

"Padfoot, I'm utterly shocked that you could think such a thing about me! Why the very thought of me writing bad things about you! I'm speechless! It's like you think I don't like you or something!" I replied sardonically.

"Moony, seriously, what'd you write?" Sirius asked again.

"Uh, Sirius, in case you haven't noticed, the whole five pages are written about you, and they're good," I said.

"I bet they aren't," 

"Read it then," I shoved the book into Sirius' hands. 

He began to read it. I watched him as he read, flicking through the pages, I couldn't quite read his expression, it seemed almost as if there was a hint of gratitude that became more pronounced as he read down the page, his expression changed from a grin to a frown and back again as he read what I had written. Once he had finished, he silently handed the book back to me, although he didn't say anything the expression of gratitude and friendship in his eyes said a thousand words. 

And for that moment as he looked me in the eye, it seemed like there was a genuine understanding between us, and a strong bond that not even the deadliest individual could break. 

Sirius Black was my brother. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thank you to **everyone** who has reviewed so far; you don't know how much all of your reviews mean to me, you all made my day! (and that's a good thing because I had to start back at school today, *long suffering sigh*) So thanks a lot! Love you all!

Padfoot's Mate- Wow, thank you _so_ much! That means a lot to me! I think that's exactly what Voldemort did to Peter. So where is the German fic? I would like to (try) and read it, (I'm learning german, slowly hehe) Thanks a lot again!

Sploogal- Thank you _very_ much! I'm glad you like my representation of Peter, yes he has a good personality and isn't just an annoying fatso, so thank you very much!

Mordred- Wow. I _never _everthought that I'd be replying to you as a writer! O-O…Thank you _so_ much for your comments. I follow "Forever Alive" religiously, and I love your writing and think you are one of the most talented writers that writes HP fanfiction there is, so it's kind of weird that I'm replying to you as an author! I will try and keep it up to the end, but I don't know exactly when the end will be. Seriously, you don't know how much your review and comments mean to me! I'm like one of your groupie fans. Hehe. So thanks a lot for reviewing, it means a lot to me that you like my story!

Kyra Invictus Black- Thank you very much! I will get to stuff on Severus soon, but he won't be featuring much though.

Acsbabyangelgirl- No James is a Chaser, in book one it says _nothing_ about him being a Seeker, though in the _movie _it says that. (I don't know why they put that in the movie, maybe it's because so Harry could have some sort of connection with his father, I don't know) J.K stated in an interview that James was a Chaser, so until she says otherwise that's what he'll be.

Madam Peanut- Thank you _very_ much! I really liked your comments! I'm glad you like the way I portray their humour. 

Meitan- Thank you! I couldn't just skip Peter or portray him otherwise because he _couldn't _have been like that too much, and MPP didn't just leave him out of everything so I can't exactly can I? ;o) . 

Caitlin- Lol, thankyou, glad you're still loving it! See how fast I updated?

EloraCooper4- Thank you a _lot_! (that doesn't sound quite right, oh well). No, you can have your review as long as you want! I really don't mind! I love to read them! So keep them coming! I'm so glad you like the story. Right now though I'm sort of at a stop, I've know what I want to write but just can't. Luckily I have heaps of other chapters written already anyway. Thanks for your review!

Snuffles2984- Thankyou! Yes Moony the chocoholic, don't you just love it? (even if it is a little clichéd). I love Moony and I love chocolate, put them together and you've got one great guy! Lol. I'm glad you liked Peter, yep he was loyal for once in his life. Lol.

Fleebee- Lol. Thankyou. Yes that does make sense. Well there you have the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!

The Merciless Torturer- I'm glad you liked Peter there! Don't cry! I promise soon it'll be funny!

Kate- Well there you have it! I hope you liked this one.

Thanks again to everyone! 


	7. The Beginning of an Era The Hogwarts Exp...

**Author's Notes: **Hi, well this is going back to the first year, first day, hope you enjoy! Oh and does anyone have a problem with the spaces in between paragraphs? If you do just let me know and I might change it.  
  


**Disclaimer: **(It's about time for one I think) The Harry Potter universe all belongs to J.K Rowling and other respectful owners.

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**Year 1977:**

**Told by the strikingly good-looking Mr. Padfoot:**

Hi there! Seeing as we are going to be telling things in a sort of chronological order I'll be writing about the first train trip to Hogwarts and a bit of the Sorting. Which I might add, was a _lot_ of fun. It was the first time I'd ever met James, Remus and Peter. Lucky I have a great memory. So let us go back… back into time… back to the Year of 1971, the year of opportunities_, the beginning of an Era…_

****

**_Year 19_**-

…"Uh, Padfoot, don't you think that's a little _too _dramatic? And what's this about 'strikingly good-looking?'" Moony was standing over my shoulder and looking down at the page with an expression of barely-suppressed amusement. I suddenly stopped writing…

"Moony!! You just wrecked the whole dramatic effect! You idiot! Go away and let me finish!" I scolded.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly still with that annoying expression on his face. He turned and went away.

_Anyway_, as I was saying, before I was so _rudely _interrupted, the Year of 1971 was a new year of opportunities; it was the beginning of a New Era…

**Year: 1971, 1st Year…**

**_Quote of the Era:_**_ "You, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew, are a bunch of good-for-nothing-dim-witted marauders!" – Said by the infamous McGonagall._

****

**_And So The Ever-Famous Marauding Era Had Begun…_**

"Have you got all your things Sirius? All of your school robes? All of your _Slytherin_ things?" my mother said in an almost threatening tone. We were standing on Platform nine and three quarters. It was packed, students were chattering away happily, and there were animals of all sorts hooting, meowing, and making strange noises all around the place. I looked over to the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, of which steam was billowing out of and over the crowds, how I longed to be on it already. With the countryside slipping behind me with every mile, and my parents far, far behind.

"Yes," I mumbled, I really did not need to listen to one of my mothers boring, long-winded lectures about Slytherin again, and upholding the family honour, or something equally boring.

"Speak properly boy! And look at me when I'm speaking to you!" I looked up at my mother; she had long black hair, and a menacing look in her eyes, she was wearing black robes with the Black crest embroidered on the chest, as if she was part of some big important group and was very proud of it.

To put it bluntly, I really didn't like my family. In fact, to tell you the truth, they annoyed the crap out of me. My parents watched my every move and tried to control everything that I've ever done, they ran my life, and if there was one thing, I, Sirius Black, hated, was people trying to run my life. My parents had always controlled my life; ever since I've been born they've been keeping tabs on me. But all this would soon change. Because, I, Sirius Black, was destined for Hogwarts. 

Almost every single relative in my family is a pureblood. And they are convinced that being pureblooded makes them practically royal, like they're above everyone else. I don't know what the big deal is with all this pureblood stuff, their pureblood tendencies seem too extreme to me, I mean, if they accepted other people and didn't flounce around raving about their superiority I wouldn't mind so much, but they don't, and that's what really gets to me. I wonder if everyone is like that, if Hogwarts is full of pureblood freaks and the like, Slytherin definitely would be like that, but from what I've heard the rest of the Houses; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff aren't like that at all, they accept everyone, even muggle-borns. I wonder if a lot of people share the same thoughts as my family on purebloodedness. 

I mean, what's the difference between being pureblood and half-blood? I never really knew why my family cared so much about being purebloods, to me everyone was the same, and as long as they were wizards it is all the same to me. Apparently, though, my parents are not inclined to share this view, and when I told them this, they threatened to send me to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts, which is another school, somewhere in Europe that emphasizes the Dark Arts. Well, after a lot of yelling, (most of which was on my mother's and my part) it was decided that I would go to Hogwarts.

Most of my family are a bunch of arrogant, stuck-up gits. Especially my dumb cousins. I've always been pretty distant from my family and their ways, partly because I saw how they treated normal people (whom were muggle-born) in public, and how they wouldn't let me talk to anyone but pure-bloods when I was younger, I was made to play with my cousins and brother. Which, after a while can get very boring. Or could end up in a screaming match.

When I received my letter from Hogwarts my parents were convinced that I was going to be sorted in Slytherin since every person in my family before me had been in Slytherin. And everyone after me would also be in Slytherin. It was almost like a threat, because they knew that I wasn't conformed like Bellatrix, Narcissa and Regulus, I wasn't one to follow their ways completely, I had never really openly opposed them, but they knew I had the capability and confidence to oppose their ways, unlike Regulus, who doesn't have any control over his life at all, even if he is young, he doesn't know any better. My mother had already bought every possible school item with the Slytherin emblem on the front of it. Joy for me. (In case you didn't catch that, it's called sarcasm) Of course, since I am the oldest Black child on my side of the family, they expect _me_ to uphold the family honour. 

I, for one, do _not_ want to be in Slytherin, I've already had heard plenty of things about that house, there's not one dark wizard that wasn't in Slytherin. 

"Now, make sure you're in Slytherin boy!" my father threatened. My father always backs up my mother in whatever she says, he's always indifferent, it's pathetic really, my mother is definitely the one who runs the family, the boss, or the one who 'wears the trousers' as they say. I've always been distant from my father, we've never had a proper loving father and son relationship, and we've never done anything as father and son. A simple game of Quidditch between my father and I would be the last scene that you would see at number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"I can't make sure I'm in Slytherin!! It's not like I can demand Dumbledore to put me in Slytherin!" I snapped back, my temper getting the better of me. 

"Don't talk back to us boy! If you're not put in Slytherin then I'm going straight to Dumbledore! That place is going to the dogs with him as Headmaster! Letting all the mudbloods in!" my mother screeched, glaring around at anyone whom looked anything like a half-blood or muggle-born, causing them to edge away uneasily. Great, I thought to myself, as people edged away from me. Just fantastic.

"Remember to stay around Narcissa and Bellatrix," my father reminded me, yet again. Yeah right, I thought to myself, they would be the last people that I'd hang around, they are both stuck up cows, and they are both in Slytherin, Narcissa is in her 2nd year and Bellatrix is in her 3rd. It is most unfortunate that they also happened to be my cousins. 

A whistle sounded from the scarlet steam engine. _Finally_ I thought to myself, as I picked up some of my possessions; my trunk was already on the train. 

I started to leave, "Remember boy: You'll be in Slytherin!" My mother screeched at me as I walked towards the train.

What a pleasant mother I have. Her last words to me were not "Have a nice time son," or "we'll miss you", no, she was not like any other normal mother. 

I boarded the train and walked to the compartment that I had put my trunk in, and sat down. The train started to move; I could hear my parents somewhere outside of the window saying something about upholding the dratted family honour. We rounded the bend and the platform sped out of sight, and I never once, looked back.

After about five minutes of sitting in the compartment absent-mindedly twiddling my thumbs and looking out the window the compartment door opened to reveal a very skinny boy with very messy black hair that stuck up at the back, he wore round black-rimmed glasses and his hazel eyes scanned the empty compartment, he was smiling and looking excited and happy. I'm glad someone was. 

"Hi… Mind if I sit here? Only, there are no other compartments left." the black haired boy said, almost bouncing up and down with anticipation on the balls of his feet. I looked him over; he didn't look like the interesting type, in fact, he looked like a twit. What with his gawky hair and over-excited-about-to-wet-yourself manner. But I let him stay in the compartment anyway.

"Sure, knock yourself out." I said as the boy beamed and sat down. 

"So, are you a first year?" the boy asked, looking over at me, still smiling "I am." Great. I thought sarcastically as the boy looked at me for an answer. I have some twit that has a permanent grin plastered to his face wanting to make conversation with me. Just great. I don't know why I ever let him in the compartment in the first place.

"Yes," I replied.

"So, how do you know you're in Slytherin?" the boy said, eyeing my possessions with the Slytherin symbol on it.

"I don't. My parents bought them for me. Hoping that I would be in Slytherin," I replied somewhat bitterly. Though apparently the boy didn't notice my bitter tone as he started talking again.

"Oh. I hope I'm in Gryffindor, my dad was in it," the boy said. Congratulations, I thought. But I replied to him anyway.

"Yeah? Me too. Except my family wants me to be in Slytherin with my 'loving' cousins," I explained. The boy looked like he wasn't sure whether to laugh or not, so he smiled awkwardly. 

"So, what's your name?" The boy asked.

"Sirius. Sirius Black," I said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm James Potter," the boy offered his hand and I shook it.

The conversation continued quite a bit like this, with very long silences, until a witch came around with stacks of food on a trolley. I looked at the food longingly, it wasn't that I couldn't afford it, quite the opposite actually, my parents refused to give me any money to spend for on food on the train, saying that it was a waste of money, and instead Kreacher (our stupid house elf) gave me stupid sandwiches to eat. Stingy parents.

James though, got up and bought piles of food from the trolley, he basically bought the whole contents of it, leaving only a few items left. He turned and grinned at me, then said, "help yourself", and pushed some food towards me. Perhaps this boy wasn't _so_ bad after all.

"So, do you know any magic yet?" James asked me excitedly.

"A bit," I replied.

"I know some cool stuff! I'll show you!" James was practically bouncing up and down in his seat with excitement. Crazy. Maybe he needed a sleeping potion. I thought to myself.

What happened next resulted in a very hilarious (well in my opinion) situation; James pointed his wand at the compartment door to show me some of his so-called 'magic' not knowing that someone was about to open the door from outside. The door suddenly opened to reveal my cousins, Narcissa and Bellatrix and some boy that I had never seen in my entire life (for which I thank my lucky stars). Before anyone could stop him, James bellowed something inconceivable, (Noticing, too late that people had just walked into the compartment) and several jets of light shot out of the end of James' wand hitting Narcissa, the slimy-looking boy and Bellatrix square in the face. Bellatrix and Narcissa screeched and the boy looked panic-stricken as great green boils started to cover their faces. If I'd ever doubted James' coolness before, I definitely didn't doubt it at that moment. I burst out laughing as my idiotic cousins started running around wildly, like it would help them, James looked stunned, then grinned sheepishly, and emitted a small 'oops', and the slimy-haired boy was looking evilly at James.

"YOU EVIL LITTLE GITS!" Bellatrix screamed as her face took on the appearance of a Grindylow with every passing second. (Personally, I thought it was an immense improvement)

"SIRIUS BLACK! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!" Narcissa screamed at me, as she desperately tried to fix her face. Ah, that was a memory that I'll never forget, I thought to myself as I fixed the image of Narcissa and Bellatrix with great big boils all over their faces into my head. If only I had a camera. Picture perfect.

I was still howling with laughter when I noticed the slimy boy pulling out his wand and pointing it at James, "watch out James!" I warned, but too late; the boy yelled something, and his wand emitted a jet of light that hit James in the face, which was soon sporting some very ugly looking spots on it. James screamed, and aimed his wand at the boy. Soon, the boy and James were yelling curses, hexes and anything they could think of left, right and centre at each other (well I think James was yelling any spell that he had ever learnt, which wasn't very effective). I fumbled in my pocket for my wand to help James, but as soon as I had pulled it out, the compartment door slid open again, this time to reveal the trolley lady, who was looking very furious. 

She took one look at the scene and started to yell "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Uh, practicing some magic?" I suggested. 

The lady gave me a glare that spelled death, then she told Narcissa, the slimy boy (I think I heard Narcissa call him Snape, his first name sounded like 'Snivellus' or something, I'm not sure, because when she said it her mouth was sort of swollen, so I couldn't catch it) and Bellatrix to leave, all of whom shot death glares at me and James. If looks could kill, then let me tell you, we would have died on the spot. 

But it would have been well worth it.

After Narcissa, Bellatrix and slime head left, the lady told us that she'd be going straight to McGonagall, and then she left in a huff. 

James and I looked at each other. It was too much for us and we both burst out laughing. 

James' face was covered in weird looking spots, his nose was all squashed up and his hair was bright pink. James had definitely come off worse then Snivellus (whom, by the looks of it, knew more curses then the whole sixth years put together). My hair was bright blue, because one of the slimy boy's curses had missed James and hit me instead. Even if James did look more like a troll in that moment, I didn't care, because for the first time in my life I had a true friend. Not someone to laugh _at _me, but someone to laugh _with _me. And even if I did not realise it at the moment, someone who I could share my secrets and fears with, someone who would accept me for what I wanted to be and someone who would be there for me when times got tough. I had found a real friend the first day of school and formed a friendship that would never waver in all the seven years that we were to share with each other. 

"Did… did you that slime boy's face?! And his hair?!" James asked, in between howls of laughter.

"Y… yes! What a freak!" James and I laughed loudly. If everyone at Hogwarts was like James then Hogwarts was definitely the place where I wanted to be. 

"What'd they want anyway? How do you know them?" James asked after we'd calmed down enough to speak in full sentences.

"They were my cousins, Bellatrix, and Narcissa, and I have no idea who that slimy boy was, looked like a first year that'll no doubt be in Slytherin. They probably wanted to introduce me to him or something," I said in disgust. If there was one thing that I hated it was my cousins trying to introduce me to people that I didn't want to know.

"They were your cousins?" James asked, apparently worried that he'd just cursed my relatives.

"Unfortunately, yes. Good job on cursing them!" James let out a sigh of relief, "I've wanted to do that for ages but never had the chance. I salute you!" I bowed to James, and he grinned.

"So I take it you don't like them too much?" James asked.

"Don't like them? That's an understatement," I snorted.

"Oh," James replied.

"So how are we going to fix your face?" I asked, having no idea how to fix curses.

But my question went unanswered, because for the third time the compartment door slid open. A pale, very skinny boy with light brown hair stood at the doorway, looking very nervous.

"Er… H….Hi… Could I sit in here? I just kinda… got kicked out of my compartment," the boy said, looking nervously at us, probably due to the fact that James looked more like a troll with bright pink hair than a human, and my hair was a bright shade of blue.

 "Sure, make yourself at home," James said, as the boy smiled gratefully and sat down. 

The boy introduced himself as Remus Lupin. And as it turns out, he had gotten kicked out of his compartment by -none other than- Narcissa and Bellatrix. Poor bugger, I thought, I wouldn't have wanted to be in his position when they came in. We told Remus about what we did to them and the slimy boy, he laughed and said that he'd been wondering what happened to their faces, or maybe they were naturally like that. I laughed, Remus was turning out to be pretty cool.

"So what's the slimy boy's name? Do you know?" I asked Remus, "cause I think I heard Narcissa call him Snivellus, but that doesn't sound like a name, well a name for an alien maybe, but her mouth was all swollen, so I couldn't catch it properly," I explained to them. They both burst out laughing.

"Snivellus! That's a great name for him! Who cares if we don't know his _real_ name, we can just call him Snivelly!" James laughed.

"I think it's Severus or something like that, that's what your cousin called him, and I think his last name is Snape," Remus said. 

"Who in their right mind would want to call their kid _Severus_?" I snorted.

"Who in their right mind would want to call their kid _Sirius_? I mean _seriously_," James teased.

I just laughed. It was so good to have a friend that I could laugh with.

"So are you going to leave your face like that or what?" Remus asked James after a while. Despite Remus' nervous manner he was turning out to be a nice person.

"Well I can't exactly fix it. I don't know how, and I'm not letting Sirius either, he'd probably give me antennas or something," James snorted, Remus and I laughed.

"I could try and fix it for you, though I could only fix the spots, I don't know how to change hair back. I've been practicing a couple of spells," Remus explained.

"Uh, okay," James agreed. 

Remus pointed his wand at James' face and said a spell, suddenly antennas started to grow out of the top of James' head. Remus went bright red and I burst out laughing, James looked at his reflection in the window and burst out laughing as well, soon all three of us were shaking with uncontrollable laughter.

"And I thought Sirius was hopeless!" James said after we had stopped chuckling.

"Sorry! It was worth a try," Remus apologized.

"No need to apologize Remus, all he needs now is a pair of googely eyes and he'd look like an overgrown insect," I said, and we started laughing again.

I looked out the window, it was getting very dark and rain was hammering down outside, the wind was howling as the train zoomed along the tracks.

"We should be at Hogwarts soon," Remus said, checking his watch. I was starting to get nervous; I'd never been in the company of a whole school before.

Sure enough, in a five minutes time the train slowed down and pulled to a stop, a voice echoed through the train "We'll be reaching Hogwarts in a couple of minutes time. Please leave all luggage on the train, it'll be brought up to the school separately. Thank you. Have a nice term."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Sirius' Sweetie**- Hey! I'm glad you liked the Padfoot chappie, I saved the best for last as they always say! Good, someone agrees with me on him not being dead (well there are a lot of people that think the same thing ;-) )  Yep, annoying people definitely is fun. Lol. He doesn't actually lick things. Lol. That would be a bit.. uh weird to say the least. Lol. 

**Stardrops**- Thankyou very much! I will read your stories soon, I've had a look at them, but haven't had time to read them yet.

**Sploogal**- Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it. I e-mailed you about the quotes thing. 

**Cestari-** Thank you! I will!

**This parrot has ceased to be-** Thank you! Yes I will continue, of course I will, I couldn't just leave MWPP like that now could I? Hehe. Well, no I didn't turn it into slash, because I've never really tried writing slash, so I didn't want to write it in this story. Good decision, no? Lol..

**Jac-** Don't cry! He's _not _gone! Noooooooo!! He's still alive! Still alive I tell you!

**TiGrrrrDYR**- Thank you very much. I'm glad you liked it! And liked reading it. No I'm not Danish. 

**EloraCooper4**- Heh, another good review :-), thanks! I'm glad that the characters are turning out to be very realistic, that's what I was going for. I'm glad you liked the S.O.B part. I'm glad you liked it all in fact. I love Sirius, and no, he cannot be dead! It's not possible. Yes, I've written to their 2nd year so far, that's why I update fast! But it's not in final versions yet.

**Chocoliciouz**- Lol. Thanks for the review. Don't worry there'll be a fair bit on Sirius, as he's my favourite! 

**Hydraspit-** I'm glad you liked that James wrote about Peter, originally I didn't know who to use for Peter, so I settled on James, I thought it wouldn't be very good and all seeing as Peter betrayed him and everything, but I'm glad you think it fits. About Dumbledore, well I used that because I couldn't find another word, and because he was just so relieved that they weren't hurt and stuff, so he wasn't insulting them or saying they were actually stupid, because everyone knows how bright they are, he was just saying that doing that was a dim-witted thing to do.

**The Merciless Torturer-** Lol. Don't worry, I'm just as lame. Lol. Siriusly. Lol. I'm glad that you siriusly loved that chapter. Okay. I'll stop now.

**Random Beatles Fan**- Thank you. Glad you're amused. Lol. Yeah, it was a bit redundant, but oh well. 

**Snuffles2984**- Thank you! I'm glad you liked that chapter. That's why I used Remus to describe Sirius because I love them both, and _had _to have one describe the other, and Remus describing Sirius was cool to write.  Don't worry about the double entry. That line gave you goosebumps?

**Hawkeye's Seductress**- I'm glad you like it, thank you very much. Hmm, I'm not very good at replying to people's reviews, lol. I'm glad you liked the James chapter, seeing as Sirius was his best friend it would have been only fitting for him to describe James, I just couldn't see the others describing him like Sirius would.

I'm glad you liked the Peter chapter also, I wanted to write him with a bit of depth, and not just like most author's would do, because he was actually a normal person, so glad you liked it.

Remus- yes he is just the cutest, I love him. But I probably love Sirius more. But Remus is very close. I found I had a fair bit in common with Moony as well, more in common then the others anyway. I'm glad you liked the chocoholic thing. I love chocolate, I love Moony. Put them together! Mmm. Hehe. 

Sirius- glad you liked that as well. I love Sirius to pieces as well ;). I don't know who knew Sirius more- Moony or Prongs. I'm very close to being addicted to S/R. I never wanted to read slash, then I ended up reading one, and it wasn't so bad. But Sirius is still mine! Lol. Okay, there wasn't any point to saying that. I cried at the end of OotP as well. I don't so much hate it, but I hate that Sirius dies. 

Thanks a lot for your review, this is the possibly longest reply I've ever done! 

 **Hannanora Potter**- Thanks very much! I'm glad that you took the time to read this fic, I love yours, (when are you updating btw, hehe, just kidding) I read a lot of timetravel ones as well, but some MWPP ones are really good. I'm glad you liked the idea for the fic, and think it's unique. At first I didn't write Peter as I did here, then after reading a few fics that showed Peter in a different light my views changed about him. 

**Mordred**- Thank you again! I'm glad you still like it, and had you laughing by the first paragraph. Lol, so who _would_ be the one that you would suspect? *raises eyebrow questioningly* hehe.

 I'm glad you liked the way I showed Peter. Keep reading, (and reviewing!) Lol. Thanks!

**Lilykins**- Thank you! I'm glad you like it so far. Keep reading!

**Visualpurple**- Thank you very much! Yep, he definitely does. I went to check out your stories but there weren't any there! Do you have them somewhere else or something?


	8. The Sorting

**Remus Rants:**__

I followed Sirius and James out into the corridor and we joined the large crowd that was making its way to the door. We made our way off the train and joined the students on a tiny platform. The rain was pounding down on us as we shivered in the cold.

Suddenly I jumped as a loud, booming voice started yelling, "Firs' years this way, firs' years over here! Follow me, mind yer step!" We followed the sound of the voice, and I looked up to see a huge man. His face was nearly hidden by a long shaggy mane of tangled hair and long beard, beetle like eyes shone out of his face. So this was Hagrid, I thought to myself, as I looked up at the huge man. I'd heard about him from my parents.

"Wha' 'appened to you two?" Hagrid asked, looking down at Sirius and James, who still sported a squashed up nose, weird spots, antennas and bright pink hair, Sirius had bright blue hair.

"Oh nothing," Sirius said innocently. Hagrid shrugged and walked off.

We followed Hagrid down a steep, narrow path, which suddenly opened onto the edge of a big black lake, where a fleet of small boats floated in the water. I looked over to the other side of the lake, a large castle stood on top of a large mountain, that had to be Hogwarts, lights glinted out of the many windows, and there was a mass of turrets and towers. It was huge.

"Righ' then! No more'n four ta a boat! Get in! An' no misbehavin'!" Hagrid moved over to the boats, and scrambled into one.

I followed Sirius and James over to the nearest boat and we scrambled inside. A pudgy looking boy with dirty blonde hair and a fat looking rat nervously asked if he could share our boat. We agreed. The boy introduced himself as Peter Pettigrew. I couldn't believe that I'd made friends this fast, Sirius and James seemed to both like me and I couldn't help but be happy about it. 

_They won't like you anymore once they find out about you._

A sharp voice cut into my head, breaking up my feelings of happiness. Of course they wouldn't like me if they found out if I was a werewolf. They'd hate me.

Hagrid's voice broke off my thoughts as he shouted 'FORWARD!' and the boats, magically obeying, moved off in an instant. The rain was still pounding down on us and the wind on the lake was creating a mass of waves.

"What do they think this is? A field trip? Fancy making us go across a lake in torrential rain like this! And in weeny little boats as well!" Peter complained as the wind lashed our faces. It seemed Peter was quite the whiner.

Personally though, I agreed with Peter, why couldn't we just go with the other students to Hogwarts? Instead we had to sail across a lake that had the tendency to make a tidal wave at any given second and could swallow us up at any time.

We weren't far off from the shore of the lake when all of a sudden there was a huge gush of wind, half of the boats lurched forward with sudden movement, and a whole mass of first years screamed and fell into the lake. Including me. If it weren't such a cold and freezing night, it would have been quite funny. Hagrid and about five other first years were the only ones whom hadn't fallen in the lake. I flailed around wildly, its not like I couldn't swim, but trying to swim while your robes were getting tangled up in your arms and legs was another matter altogether. I looked around; it looked like a scene from a mini shipwreck, students everywhere were flailing around in the water trying to grab onto the now empty boats. Sirius and James were laughing, what a bunch of nuts, I thought to myself as I paddled towards them, I'm glad _they_ thought it was funny. 

"Stay calm now! Jus' swim to the shore!" Hagrid said, as he tried to pull students out of the water. It's all right for him; I thought as I tried to swim to shore, he's not the one actually in the lake _trying_ to swim.

I spotted Peter in our boat, having just been pulled out of the water by Hagrid, I swam over to him, Sirius and James following me (still chuckling); Peter pulled Sirius, James and I out of the water and back into the boat.

"Let's do that again!" Sirius laughed as he wiped the water out of his eyes.

"Are you mental?!" I asked him incredulously.

"It was fun! Did you see all those little idiots trying to swim?!" Sirius chuckled.

"You're crazy," I laughed, crazy was an understatement, maybe insane described him better, Sirius was turning out to be quite funny.

The boats stopped as we got to a kind of underground harbor, and we scrambled out of the boats onto a pebbly ground. We then followed Hagrid up a passageway and finally came out to stand in front of the huge castle. We followed Hagrid up a flight of stone steps and stopped in front of a large oak door.

Hagrid knocked on the door and it swung open instantly to reveal a tall witch with a very stern face.

"Her' the firs' years Professor McGonagall, some o' 'em fell in tha' lake, bit windy out there," Hagrid told the witch.

Peter snorted from behind me, and muttered "A _bit _windy? That's an understatement."

"Thank you Hagrid, I'll take them from here," McGonagall said as she gave James, Sirius and Snape a weird look, (no wonder, as they looked more like trolls then humans, except for Sirius who had blue hair), and we followed her into a huge Entrance Hall, then we went into a small chamber off the hall, which we crowded into. Shivering and soaked the people around me started to talk nervously, some excitedly, until McGonagall silenced them with a look.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term feast will start in a moment, but before it does you will be sorted into four different houses. They are: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, your house will be like your family while you are at Hogwarts, you will sleep in your house dormitory …" Professor McGonagall talked on and on about the houses, I only half listened, my stomach felt like it was doing somersaults, I was so nervous. It was all right for the rest of the first years, I thought as I looked around at their soaked forms, they don't have a big secret looming over them, they don't have any worries except for which House they'll be Sorted into. The only worries they'll have is handing their homework in on time, meeting new people, starting a new school, not getting lost and turning up late to class. I had all these worries, and something much bigger that I carried over my shoulders. I carried the weight an eleven-year-old boy should never have to bear. I carried the burden of being a murderous monster, the burden that will ever keep me from living a _normal_ life.

"….The Sorting Ceremony will commence in a few minutes, and I will return when we are ready for you," McGonagall said then she swept out of the room.

"I wonder how we get sorted," James wondered aloud.

"No idea. I just hope I'm not in Slytherin," Sirius said darkly.

"Me either," Peter agreed.

I agreed with both Sirius and Peter; I definitely didn't want to be sorted into Slytherin. I'd heard a bit about the Houses from my parents, and apparently Slytherin was the worst of the lot, it came out with a lot of dark wizards. Or perhaps that's where I deserved to be, I thought wildly, _perhaps that's where monsters like me belong…_

Suddenly my thoughts were cut off as the door opened again and Professor McGonagall returned, first she gave James, Sirius and Snivellus a very dark glare, she probably had heard about the incident on the train from the trolley lady, then she waved her wand at James' and Snivellus' face and Sirius' hair and they all went back to normal, "I'll be dealing with you three later," she said stiffly, "now form a line and follow me," she instructed us as we walked back across the hall and into the Great Hall….

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**James' Story:**

I looked around; the Great Hall was certainly something spectacular, it looked like it had no ceiling, because the night sky could be seen through it. The hall was lit by hundreds of floating candles, and there were many faces staring at us from four long tables as we walked up to a stool that had a very old and crabby looking hat, we came to a halt in front of the stool. I was very excited to be at Hogwarts, the train trip had been great (even if Snivellus did sort of beat me in our little 'duel') because I had made some really good friends. Sirius Black seemed like a really great guy, and he seemed to be a bit of a rebel, a trait that I liked to have in a friend. And Remus Lupin, he seemed nice enough, even if he did look a bit pale and that extra bit nervous then the rest of us. Peter Pettigrew seemed all right also, though a bit timid, but he was still an all right looking guy. I guess the House Sirius, Remus and Peter get sorted into will determine their true personality.

My attention snapped back to the hat in front of me as a tear in it had just opened, like some sort of mouth, and suddenly the thing began to sing!

"Oh I may not look like your pretty bowlers hat, 

But if you place me upon your head I'll show you where you're at,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat.

I'll tell you where you belong, 

Whether it be in Gryffindor,

Where the brave and courageous dwell,

Or maybe Slytherin, 

Where those folk will use cunning means to achieve their goals…"

I definitely won't be in Slytherin, I thought to myself as the Sorting Hat sung on. After it had finished, McGonagall, whom was holding a roll of parchment begun to talk again, "when your name is called you will sit upon the stool and I will put the hat upon your head to be sorted, Black, Sirius!" McGonagall called.

Sirius walked up to the stool and sat down somewhat hesitantly, McGonagall placed the hat on his head and there it stayed for a couple of minutes. It seemed almost as if the hat was having some sort of conversation with Sirius. Sirius was murmuring under his breath and he had his eyes screwed tightly closed. Finally the Sorting Hat opened it's mouth and yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" everyone on the Gryffindor table got up and started cheering and clapping as Sirius walked over to the Gryffindor table and beamed at me, the other Houses clapped politely. I saw Sirius look over to the Slytherin table as he sat down at the Gryffindor table, his beam changed to a smirk. I followed his eyes to see what he was looking at. It was his cousins. They were both glaring daggers at Sirius. I looked back over to Sirius, whom was still smirking, and wondered what all this was about. Sirius did mention that his family wanted him to be in Slytherin, but he didn't want to be, maybe his cousins hated him for this? 

My thoughts were broken again as a girl with thick, shiny red hair shoved past me to go and sit on the stool. The girl had been sorted into Gryffindor after sitting on the stool for a couple of minutes.

After a few more students had been sorted Remus Lupin was called out to come forward, he did so somewhat hesitantly, and if possible, he paled even more than before. He sat down on the chair, looking as if he was about to meet his doom. The hat was placed on his head, (it fell down past his eyes), Remus gripped the sides of the stool and after a couple of minutes the Hat opened its mouth and yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" Remus smiled shyly as the Gryffindors stood up and applauded him; nevertheless, he looked happy about it. After the hat was taken off his head Remus made his way over to the Gryffindor table and joined Sirius, both of them looked happy. I just hoped that I would be in Gryffindor with Sirius and Remus. I wouldn't have it any other way.

After some other students were sorted into Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw, and some Gryffindor, it was Peter's turn to be sorted. Peter stumbled up towards the chair, he looked extremely nervous, some people laughed openly and he jumped. Finally when he got to the stool and sat down the hat was placed on his head. He wringed his hands together and waited for the final verdict. After what seemed like ages, the hat opened its mouth and yelled "GRYFFINDOR!"****

My thoughts turned as a grinning Peter stumbled over to the Gryffindor table to join Sirius and Remus. Now all of the people that seemed to be nice and potential friends had been sorted I wondered where the Sorting Hat would place me. Hopefully in Gryffindor, I wanted desperately to be in Gryffindor, my father had been in Gryffindor and had said that it was the only House to be. 

"Potter, James!" My thoughts turned back to where I was as I heard my name being called out by Professor McGonagall, I walked somewhat nervously up to the stool while mussing up my hair and straightening my glasses. After what seemed an age, I finally reached it and sat down, the Sorting Hat was placed on my head.

Suddenly a voice sounded in my ear, so this is why Sirius was muttering! The Sorting Hat could talk in your head! "Ah, a Potter, you're a hard one, yes, very determined and courageous I see, also extremely loyal, you would fit into all the Houses, Hufflepuffs like loyalty, yes," not Hufflepuff! _Definitely_ not Slytherin I thought as the hat whispered in my ear again "hmm, Slytherin would also take you far, you're a very bright one, perhaps Ravenclaw, actually no, Gryffindor is the best suited for you I think, well, it better be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled, the Gryffindor's all applauded, Sirius and Remus gave me the thumbs up as I made my way over to them to join them.

"Great! We're all in Gryffindor! This is going to be the best!" Sirius yelled over all the applauding.

"Yep! I thought it was going to put me into Slytherin or something," I said as the noise died down and the slime-boy that was now known as Snivellus was sorted into Slytherin. His real name _is_ Severus Snape by the way.

Finally, when the last of the first years had been sorted, Dumbledore stood up, "Now that you have all been sorted, I have two words to say: Dig in!" Dumbledore sat down again as the tables were magically filled with every food imaginable. Everyone took Dumbedore's advice and started to eat the delicious looking food.

When everyone had finished eating Dumbledore stood up again and the hall went quiet. 

"This year you will notice a new addition to the grounds in the form of a willow tree, a lovely plant that has the tendency to knock people flat if they go too near, but it adds to the décor, so I advise you not to go near the tree unless you'd like to spend the first week of school in the Hospital Wing…"

Dumbledore then went on to explain things that were forbidden to do and various items that were banned. Most of which included all of the things that I have ever wanted to do at Hogwarts (oh well, there was always a way around that). After Dumbledore had finished speaking we followed the prefects out of the Great Hall (me and Sirius kept a low profile, we didn't want to run into McGonagall just yet, in case she gave us detention for the incident on the train, being our first night at Hogwarts and all, but luckily she didn't catch sight of us as she was talking to Hagrid) and up to the Gryffindor Common Room, then Sirius, Peter and I went up to our dormitories and settled in our warm beds. Remus stayed back because Dumbledore wanted to discuss something with him, but he came to the dormitory a little later. Fortunately Sirius and I got out of the hall safely without being noticed by McGonagall, she seemed very strict, and I didn't want to get into trouble on my first day of being here, especially from McGonagall, whom was the head of Gryffindor house. Hopefully she'll forget about it by the morning. Hopefully.

Finally I was at Hogwarts, I thought to myself as I turned in my warm and comfy bed. After everything my dad had told me about Hogwarts, (my mother and father are both wizards) I was finally here to experience it for myself. I was still very excited, I've already made three seemingly great friends, I'll have a great time here, and hey, I might even have time to do a bit of learning along the way. And most of all, I'd get to play Quidditch. Quidditch is a sport played on broomsticks, and it's the most fun and not to mention dangerous game to play that was ever invented. And I couldn't wait to join my House team in second year. Unfortunately at Hogwarts, first years aren't allowed to play Quidditch. Which pretty much sucked for me. I played Quidditch with my dad at home sometimes, and I loved the feeling when I'm up in the air on my broomstick without a care in the world.

I looked out of the window past Sirius' sleeping form, the sky was an inky black, and scattered among the blackness was a mass of glowing stars. I searched the sky, there was the milky way, I thought as my eyes drifted over it, and there was Canis Major, it had one of the brightest stars in that constellation, called Sirius, strange, I thought to myself as my eyes drifted back over to Sirius' sleeping form, I wonder if he was named after the brightest star in the sky. I made a note to ask him in the morning if I remembered. I wonder if his middle name is Orion, that would make him S.O.B, I chuckled to myself as I thought of how many years of name induced taunting on my part this would bring.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**Sirius' Story:**

I laid in my warm bed in a kind of stupor, you know when you're half awake and half asleep at the same time, and you can't figure out if those pixies dancing on your bed are real or not. 

Well what a day it had been, quite a good day it had been actually, knowing that I wouldn't see my parents until the next holidays, being put into Gryffindor and not upholding the family honour by being in Slytherin, seeing my worst cousins being hexed, making three cool new friends, and coming to Hogwarts was the best thing that's ever happened to me. My life had changed rapidly in just a matter of hours, it went from totally dull and boring to one of the best times I've ever had with a click of a finger. If life were this easy all the time then I'd be in heaven.

I turned in my bed, my hand slid underneath my pillow to support my head, I looked over at James, he was a pretty cool guy, I was grateful that he wanted to be my friend, I've never really had proper friends before, except Andromeda, my cousin, she's the only decent one out of my entire family. My parents wouldn't let me associate with anyone but pureblood wizards so there wasn't much of a selection, oh how I wished to see the expression on my dear old mother's face when she would find out that I was in Gryffindor, I would pay galleons just to see it. 

I looked past James' bed to where Peter slept, he's all right I guess, not the type I'd really _choose_ to hang around, but hey, if he's in Gryffindor he can't be that bad can he? Maybe he just needs to come out of his shell a bit. 

I turned over to look at Remus' bed; he seemed pretty cool as well, though there was something odd about him, I can't quite place it. He seemed pretty nervous when he came into our compartment, though who wouldn't be, being the first day of school and all, but he seemed more nervous than a lot of the first years, it seemed almost as if he was guilty of something, or hiding something, and Dumbledore had talked to him after the feast, I wonder what for? He couldn't be in trouble already could he? No, it must be something else. But what?

As I laid there in my warm bed I thought back to what the Sorting Hat had told me… 

"Hmm, another Black 'eh? I know where you should be, but I see, you're different to the other Blacks, hmm, yes, a rebel,"

I had desperately muttered that I didn't want to be in Slytherin, and the Sorting Hat started talking again…

_"Not Slytherin eh? You could be great in Slytherin, you could achieve your goals, you have great potential, Slytherin would take you far, hmm, very loyal I see, Hufflepuff? No, that wouldn't be right, okay better be GRYFFINDOR!"_

With those words, my new life had started. I was sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin! When I looked over at Bellatrix and Narcissa they had gave me their worst I'm-going-to-kill-you glare. But I didn't care one sickle, because I, Sirius _Black_, was in _Gryffindor_! The very house that my mother and father despised!

I closed my eyes again waiting for sleep to come … All of a sudden my stomach turned over…Suddenly I had second thoughts… _Had I done the right thing?_ To rebel against my parents pureblood mania and family honor… _Was this the right path to take?_ A sudden gust of cold wind rushed across my face as if it was some kind of awakening and I was jolted back to my senses, what had I been thinking? Why the hell would I have second thoughts about my rebellion? Of course I was doing the right thing, my parents were wrong, and I never _did_ want to be part of their stupid legacy, _ever_.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Peter's Story:**

I looked around, wondering if I was the only one still awake. Probably. Well it had been an eventful day, even though I had been quite timid and shy, it seemed like maybe I had made some friends in Remus, James and Sirius.

I couldn't believe that I was actually in Gryffindor. Especially with James, Sirius and Remus. They seemed like the coolest people ever. Especially James, Sirius kept giving me weird looks, as if he didn't know whether he wanted to be my friend or not. Remus is nice as well. 

Lying in the dark I thought back to what the Sorting Hat had told me…

_'There's a thirst to prove yourself, and you also have a cunning mind, you would fit in if you were in Slytherin'_

Would I have been better off in Slytherin? Did the Sorting Hat make the right decision by putting me in Gryffindor? I certainly didn't want to be in Slytherin. And why did it think that I have a cunning mind? 

_'You would fit in if you were in Slytherin'_

The Sorting Hat's words ran through my head again. Why would I fit in if I were in Slytherin? Was it because I could be just as bad as the Slytherins?

_You're being stupid._

I told myself. I'd just had too much to eat and my mind was running away with me. Or was it? Would I have been better in Slytherin? The question ran through my head as I drifted off to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Remus' Rants:**

I stared up at the dark ceiling and wondered if the others were still awake, probably not, it was probably just me. My eyes itched with tiredness though I couldn't possibly get to sleep; my secret was gnawing at my insides, it felt like I didn't belong here, or anywhere else for that matter. I turned over in my bed, I could just make out Sirius' sleeping form through the curtains, I wondered if Sirius, James and Peter would want to have anything to do with me if they found out about my secret.

_No one would want to have anything to do with you,_

A small voice inside my head said. Of course it was right. If I ever let my secret become public no one in the world would want to know me, they'd be scared of me, of what I have become. 

_They will hate you if you tell them, they will always hate you…_

The voice spoke again. I would never be able to tell Sirius or James or Peter about me being a werewolf. They wouldn't accept me; they would never accept me, if they knew what I really was. I hated lying to people, but I would have to if I wanted to be accepted. They only knew the fake side of me. Not the werewolf. 

_Werewolf!_

The voice inside my head snarled and my stomach cramped up with unease. I wished that I had never got bitten; I wished that I'd have never walked into the forest that terrible night. If only I could turn back time. 

If only. 

But now it seemed useless. Everything seemed useless. I knew that no one would accept me if they knew what I really was.

 I had only been accepted to Hogwarts out of Dumbledore's pity. That was the only reason for my being here. Somebody else's pity. I didn't need anybody's pity. Or their sympathy for that matter. I'll beat the wolf inside me, if it's the last thing I do. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author's Notes: **Hi! Sorry that this chapter took a while to be posted, it's just that I have school, and I didn't want to post it too quick, so here it is, but me posting this earlier then I intended to may mean that the next chap will take longer to come out, because I haven't figured it out yet, because I had it worked out and now I want to add another chapter. But stick with me, because I WILL be updating! So keep reading! Well, some things that I think I should explain, I know McGonagall would probably be more strict then that if she seen James, Sirius, and Severus turn up to the Sorting like that on their first night. But she was too busy with everything to sort everything out, so she would have eventually forgotten it (what with the feast and all), and when she did remember it was too late. So that's my explanation if you were wondering…

**The Merciless Torturer- **Thank you very much! I'm glad you loved it. Sorry for keeping you up past your bedtime. Lol. Keep reading.

**Visualpurple- **Oh okay. I will!

**Lily_Evans0- **Thank you very much, I'm glad you like it. I went to check out your story, (the one with Lily in Ravenclaw), you should keep going! 

**Mordred**- Thank you very much! (again!) lol. I'm glad you love my take on Remus. I love Remus. Hehe. Glad you liked my plan as well. Thanks for the advice on Sirius, okay, Bull= Padfoot, got it. ;), I'll keep it in mind. I think he was more in charge in this chapter though. So you suspect the werewolf? Hmm, I really don't know where I stand on the slash thing, some slash stories are really good, but I do agree that J.K probably wouldn't put it into her story and it doesn't really fit the genre. But some people just seem to fit together if you know what I mean. Lol. But I'm not going to make this into a slash story, I've never written slash. Oh and I just read your reply to my review of your story, yes I get it now, with the Secret keeper, because I went back and read that part of PoA and now I know, (guess I didn't read it right the first couple of times! Lol)

**RedRaspberry**- Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it. Keep reading.

**Amazed**- Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked the summary. Keep on reading.

This parrot has ceased to be- Lol. I was just as surprised as you when I saw the first review from Mordred. I was like O.O Hehe. I'm glad you liked the first meeting of them, I had to make it funny somehow and in Marauder style. 

**Jac-** Thank you. Glad you loved it. 

**Lita- **Lol. O-kay. Sirius definitely shall live. But I don't know about the whole falling in love part. Lol.

**Quis-** Thank you. I'm glad I could keep you laughing. Keep reading and I'll try to keep you laughing.

**Hawkeye's Seductress**- Thank you. I really don't mind how long your reviews are, they can be as long as you want them I don't mind, I like long reviews. Glad you liked James and his antennas can't you just picture it? Lol. Well Remus only just started so I guess he wouldn't be perfect at spells just yet. Keep on reading!

**Potterfan18- **Thank you very muchly. I'm glad you liked the way I did Peter, and the way I described them, keep on reading.

**Snuffles2984- **Thank you! Glad you liked it. I know what you mean about the goosebumps thing, about how it gave you goosebumps in a good way, what I meant was that my writing can actually have that affect on people? O.O Keep reading!

**Jenna-** Lol. Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

**Renia Sparrow-** Thank you. I will!

**Mars explorer- **Thank you, I will try.

**Lilykins- **Glad you loved it. Keep reading!

**Ronda-Silverpaw- **Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. 

**Sinical-Sarchasm- **Hey, that's okay, I know it can be hectic, I hate classes. All of them. (well art and English are okay I guess) I've always loved Moony as well, (but Sirius probably more) I can identify with him on some levels, I'm a chocoholic as well! (gotta love the stuff!) You can blab on all you want, I don't mind. Is your Remus fic Sev/Remus slash? Just wondering. Yes I think you did mention that I capture people well, but thank you very much for saying it again! I really like your reviews (I think I've told you that before) Glad you like Sirius' writing style, I love writing with Sirius, it's a lot of fun, and you can make it sound so cynical and funny (if that makes sense), that's probably why there are going to be probably more stuff written by Sirius. Thank you very much for your reviews, I'm glad you liked fluffy!Sirius and the Sirius chapter that Moony wrote. Thank you again!

**Flying Ford Anglia- **Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it. I never get it why everyone laughs at that quote, really, I guess it is kind of funny in it's own way. Yes one of the chapters will be about Sirius running away from home, but that won't be for ages yet.

**Fleebee-** Lol. Thank you very much! Well here's the next chapter, hope you liked it. 

**Maraudertimes- **Hi! Well I hope you like it when you do read it. I hope you get the internet at home, I know how annoying it is when there isn't any.

**Caitlin- **Lol. Here's the next chapter! Don't resort to throwing something at the computer, because that could end in very peed off parents (or whoever) and no, not good at all. Lol. Hope I posted it in time for you to not throw something at the 'puter or go into depression. If you want to read another story read 'Forever Alive' by Mordred, it's brilliant. Yes I promise that's not the end of it, I'll write right into the seventh year, and maybe a bit after that, but I don't know about MWPP order years, but def. till 7th year. So don't fret! 

**Random Beatles Fan- **Thank you, well they didn't get sorted with the antennas etc.

**EloraCooper4- **Hi! I'm glad you liked the way I had Sirius' mother and father, I wasn't too sure whether to do his father like that, but in the end I just did so glad you like it. There might be a bit about Regulus, it really depends. I'm not sure yet. I hope you liked the way Peter and Lily was introduced, I didn't really introduce Lily properly yet though, that comes later, because I don't think James would have really taken much notice of her yet. Hmm, it's been in my head for a while now, but we already know what happens anyway! Well I did have a fair bit of free time, but now that schools started I don't really. So it's lucky that I've already written some chapters in advance. 

**Megan- **Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked those chapters, those were my favourites as well. Thanks for telling me about the dot things, I've never checked how it  would turn out on FF.net so thanks for telling me. Now I don't know how to change it. Oh well, it'll have to stay like that.

**Leena- Sama- **Thank you very much! I know I am so right! Lol.

**Padfoot911- **Thank you very muchly. Yes I will continue with this.

_My most repeated saying of the day- 'Thank you' or 'Thank you very much'! _Lol. Well it's true, I think I've written it over 50 times (slight exaggeration there lol) replying to reviews. But I had to thank everyone for their reviews, because I really appreciate them and love them! So thank you very much all!


	9. The Utterly Barmy Staff of Hogwarts

**Author's Notes:**

Er…hi… Okay I know I haven't updated in AGES but I'm very sorry, and if you keep reading my explanations at the bottom! I feel that I need to introduce the staff of Hogwarts (especially the new ones), so here goes….

**Told by Mr. Padfoot:**

**Year 1977…**

Hi again! I feel, that now I have a duty, and that duty is to inform about the Hogwarts teachers.

"Padfoot! Stop interrupting the story!" That was Remus. Oh joy. He just came up behind me and is now whining about me interrupting the story.

"Well we just got off to a good start and then you interrupt it! It was going all smoothly and then you go back to 1977! We were just getting into it as well!" Remus complained.

"I only wanted to write about the teachers that we had for our first and second years," I said obstinately.

"Well hurry up then," Remus replied demandingly.

Anyway, back to the teachers, (just ignore Remus, pretend that he didn't interrupt _me _for a minute).

Well the Hogwarts teachers are a weird bunch. An _extremely_ weird bunch if you ask me. Let's start off with the most important (and weirdest of all) of the Hogwarts staff shall we?

**Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster:**

**_Quote from the man himself (which justly sums up his personality): _**_"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" – Er, yeah… Okay…_****

Professor Albus Dumbledore, possibly the strangest of all teachers, (and that's saying something because a lot of the Hogwarts staff are _extremely_ strange) is a genius. Dumbledore is the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and a very great Headmaster he is. He has long white silvery hair and a long silver beard, his eyes are blue and they twinkle. A lot. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. That really makes me wonder, what kind of soul _does_ Dumbledore have?

Dumbledore knows a lot of stuff that we don't.

He's a very smart man, Dumbledore, he knows how to deal with any kind of people, and he outsmarts most people using just words. He's the greatest and most powerful wizard that's ever lived. Dumbledore is Voldemort's most feared enemy, that's why Hogwarts is the safest place around.

Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of all time but he is also a little…er… _strange_. Did I say a little strange? I meant _a lot._ He loves muggle sweets like Sherbet Lemons and all kinds of other weird things (like Cockroach Clusters for example).

Another great thing about Dumbledore is that he almost always laughs and enjoys our pranks, like this one time when we made all the cutlery and plates float in the Great Hall, and caused a chaos he looked like Christmas had come early. Dumbledore is also a kind person; he pities everyone and believes in second chances. For example he let Remus into Hogwarts when no other Headmaster would have.

A word of advice: if ever you need to get out of trouble, go to Dumbledore.Dumbledore has gotten us out of being expelled a lot of times in the past seven years, like I said, he believes in second chances. Or thirds.

Another piece of advice, if you want to get out of something with Dumbledore, just tell him an extremely funny joke, Dumbledore loves a good joke, chances are he'll get so caught up in the joke and won't worry about the trouble you've caused because the joke's so funny. I suspect that he doesn't forget about the trouble you've caused though; he just lets people off easily. Perhaps that's why McGonagall is often the one to punish us. That's not to say that Dumbledore is stupid though, he's extremely wise. And I'm so glad that he's the Headmaster and not some other idiot.

**Professor Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration, Head of Gryffindor, Deputy Headmistress:**

**_Quote from McGonagall: _**_"I'm very disappointed in you Sirius Black, 20 points from Gryffindor and detention for a week… although, I **did** like that lovely shade of crimson…" – talking about when I cursed Snape to flash red and gold, I kid you not, that is what she actually said! Humph, okay then, she might **not** have said it but I could tell that that was **exactly** what she was thinking!_

Aah McGonagall. She's a tough cookie. She absolutely loves it when James and I call her Minerva (note the sarcasm there). McGonagall is the Gryffindor Head of House, and teaches Transfiguration.

She's been wary of James and I especially (and eventually Peter, and sometimes Remus) since our first day of the first year, just because Bellatrix and Narcissa tried to introduce me to Snape on the train and James accidentally cursed him and that ended in me trying to help James, and Snape cursing us both. Of course it was all my cousins and Snivellus' fault, if they hadn't come into our compartment then James wouldn't have accidentally cursed them, anyway, McGonagall found out about that from the trolley lady and even though we sort of escaped punishment McGonagall has been wary of us ever since.

And then on the first day James and I were a bit late to her first class (because we were late to breakfast because we slept in, and Remus and Peter didn't even come to get us! Shame on them!) and McGonagall gave us detention for that, though I suspect that that detention wasn't only for us being late but also for what had happened on the train.

McGonagall is extremely strict and never fails to give out detentions and take points off us. Though I suspect that good old Minerva enjoys our little pranks as well, sometimes I catch a hint of a smile when she sees our pranks. We know your secret McGonagall! You can't hide it from good old Padfoot and Prongs! Ahem, anyway, as I was saying, McGonagall secretly takes pleasure in seeing the Slytherins' asses being whipped by yours truly.

McGonagall is also an Animagus, a cat, mind you. And she helped us become Animagi, without her knowing of course. We just asked her a couple of innocent seeming questions about Animagi and she told us. It's always funny when teachers help you with breaking the rules and they don't even know it.

Another thing about McGonagall is that she secretly favours James because he's the Gryffindor Quidditch Champion and often wins the Quidditch cup for Gryffindor, and James is top of the class in Transfiguration. She can't help favouring him, though she tries not to.

McGonagall has, and always will be strict, very strict, but as I said, she always enjoys our pranks, and generally if you keep on her good side Minerva is not all that bad really.

**Professor Filius Flitwick, Charms, Head of Ravenclaw:**

**_Quote from Flitwick: _**_"Now please at least **try** not to use the charm for any troublemaking. McGonagall would have my head if she found out that I was the one who taught you it!" – Flitwick told us this after he taught us a certain handy charm, ah poor Flitwick… he tries. He knew that it would be perfect for a prank but he taught us anyway!_

Professor Flitwick is a funny tiny little man who's the Head of Ravenclaw. Flitwick teaches charms and is known for his sensitive nature. Flitwick is pretty cool, he's quite funny most of the time actually, he's so small that he needs to stand on a pile of books just to see over his desk.

I've also heard that Professor Flitwick was quite the duelist in his days. I asked him a about it once and he told us about how he was a dueling champion in his days, which is pretty cool.

Even though Flitwick is tiny, most of the students have a lot of respect for him; he's one of those teachers that you instantly like and hold in a high regard. No one ever makes any rude comments to him about his shortness. We may joke about it now and then though.

Yes, Flitwick is definitely one of Hogwarts best teachers, James, Remus, Peter and I can ask him about charms for our pranks and he'll tell us straight away, and even offer to teach them to us (we don't tell him that we're going to use it for a prank, but I think he has a pretty good idea of what we use them for). I think that as long as we're actually learning something he doesn't care whether we use the charms for pranks or not.

**Professor Pomona Sprout, Herbology, Head of Hufflepuff:**

**_Quote from Sprout: _**_"Be careful now! The little darlings **may** bite…" – when we had to repot Gnashing Gibbit's (I kid you not, that is their real name!). Yeah, **may** bite, more like 'may attempt to rip your head off'… _

Professor Sprout. Hmm. There isn't really much to say about Sprout, she's just like any normal teacher, and as her name suggests she teaches Herbology, and she's also the Head of Hufflepuff. She's not strict like McGonagall, she's not boring like Binns and she's not as cheery as Flitwick. She's one of those regular professors that teach students what they need to know and in an effective way. Professor Sprout is one of the teachers that don't get much recognition, because she isn't strict or boring, she's just plain old Sprout.

She always encourages her students, that's for sure, especially Peter, she once gave him a fanged geranium and every time James or I went near it the stupid thing bit us, and yes, to admit it; a bite from a Fanged Geranium _does _hurt! In the end the said plant 'mysteriously' disappeared somehow.

You don't even want to know about the time when she gave Peter a honking daffodil. Talk about favouritism. But then again, I'm kind of glad that I'm _not_ one of Sprout's favourite students because I'd hate to see what she'd give me.

**Professor Edgar Bones, Defense Against the Dark Arts:**

**_Quote from Bones: _**_"**Did** you know that Muggles use ekelicity to light rooms and for other things?!" – Said in a very excited tone. Yeah, actually I did know that, and it's not **that** exciting._

Professor Edgar Bones is the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. When we first met Professor Bones he seemed strange, but when we got to know him a bit better we found that we really started to like him. Professor Bones is a bit weird but in a good way, he's good friends with Dumbledore, (it's no wonder, because they're both strange, birds of a feather…). Professor Bones is a good teacher and teaches us in the practical sense, instead of straight out of textbooks all the time.

Professor Bones is a very easy-going type of guy, but if a student does something extremely stupid, or the class constantly disobeys him, well boy, he goes off.

And I mean off, we're talking full-blown shouting-at-the-top-of-his-lungs so-you-can-hear-it-on-the-seventh-floor kind of thing, he gets angrier even than, say, McGonagall, and he yells louder than her when he's really pissed off. Which to me is a pretty amazing feat.

But these occasions are _very_ rare, if at all, and he gets over it quite quickly. All the students basically know by now not to keep getting on his nerves. James and I know just the right moment to stop annoying him, and when he'll crack, (we've perfected it over the years).

Professor Bones is a tolerant and open-minded person, he is like a friend and a teacher; over the years on several occasions he's helped us with things, the good thing about him is that his main field is the Dark Arts but he also has knowledge about other subjects so you can ask him about things and he'll tell you, although he does have the tendency to rave on and on about it, which is a disadvantage, but if you're like James, Remus, Peter and I, there's always a call for distractions.

A tip if you have a lesson with Professor Bones and don't want to do class work: Ask him about muggle appliances or something similar, he'll go on about them for ages and ages, and before you know it the lesson will have ended.

**Professor Marek Crevan:**

**_Quote from Crevan: _**_"Severus Snape is a very kind person who would be eager to be your friend"- when trying to make me be friends with Snivellus, talk about an appalling judge of character!_

Professor Crevan is the Potions teacher and the Head of Slytherin. Professor Crevan in _my_ opinion (which is of very high value, believe me) is a complete and utter sodding prat. I do have a reason for this of course (I have reasons and explanations for everything) Professor Crevan is a friend of the Black family. Joy for me. _Not_. If you have any sense at all a friend of the Black family usually is equivalent to a _stupid pure-blood maniacal idiot_. He's a 'great' friend of my dad, as he constantly likes to remind me. Example: "Me and your dad are great friends… blah blah blah" as soon as he mentions my dad I prefer to tune out, saying 'yes sir' occasionally to make him think I'm listening. He always tries to talk me into becoming an evil little git just like Regulus, he loves giving me lectures on how I should be in Slytherin and all that crap, it's like he thinks he can tell me what to do just because he's a teacher and he's friends with the family! It's pathetic. Another reason why Professor Crevan is a git is because he favours Snivellus, it's pitiable, just because Snivellus is evil and can brew potions, Professor Crevan loves him. And get this, James doesn't think he's 'all that bad'! Just because I won't be evil like Crevan, he is constantly being nice to James and rubbing it in my face, like he's saying 'look how I'd treat you if you were evil' or something. He can be very cunning in that way. The only comfort I get is that Professor Crevan treats Remus just the same, if not worse than he treats me, because Remus sometimes brews up Potions that could blow up the whole dungeon (I wish they would, actually). And of course Peter has the same opinion that James does, so he doesn't think that Professor Crevan is that bad either. Yes, they're pretty bloody _blind_.

**Professor Binns, History of Magic:**

**_Quote from the Ghost: _**_"History of Magic is one of the most exciting and riveting subjects that you'll ever study at Hogwarts"- Yeah right, more like one of the most dullest and tiring! _

Professor Binns is possibly the most boring teacher in the history of Hogwarts and the whole wizarding world. Scratch that: he _is _the most boring teacher in the history of Hogwarts and the entire wizarding world. Binns teaches History of Magic, and makes bloody goblin wars and famous rebellions sound as boring as listening to someone droning on about broom safety.

He possesses the most monotone and boring voice in the entire history of the world – muggle and wizarding.

Professor Binns is the only Professor at Hogwarts that is a ghost. You're probably thinking 'Oh, a ghost! How cool! That would so be cool to be taught by a ghost,' right? _Wrong. _The fact that he's a ghost doesn't cover up the fact that his lessons are as boring as all hell. You would think that being taught by a ghost would be exiting and cool; well it would be, if it were a ghost by any other name than 'Professor Binns'.

The story goes on like that since ages ago (I'm talking 1800's here, maybe a slight exaggeration there) there was a fire in the staff room, and Binns, upon waking up in the middle of the fire, simply went off to class, leaving his body behind.

Binns' teaching method and routine has been the same over the past however many years that he's been teaching; he enters the classroom through the blackboard and then proceeds to drone on and on about things that have the possibility to be exciting if told by any other person. You can do anything in Binns class and he would be totally oblivious to it, like this one time I let a couple of owls in through the window and Binns didn't even notice. History of Magic is a great lesson to spend for planning things, that's where James, Peter and I do a lot of planning. Remus doesn't though, he takes notes, I don't know how he does it, once I offered to steal Binns' notes for him when the exams were coming up but Remus objected to it, saying that it was 'immoral'.

**Professor Accalia Philomena, Astronomy:**

**_Quote from Philomena: _**_"I myself don't claim to know everything about Astronomy…" – Well why the hell are you teaching it then?!_

Professor Philomena is the Astronomy teacher; she's around her mid thirties I think. She has straight black hair, pale skin and dark eyes; sometimes she can be quite scary because she just stands there staring up at the sky without saying anything. Philomena is very mysterious. She only appears at night and rarely attends feasts in the Great Hall. Now that I think about it, she could be a vampire…

Er, sorry about that, my imagination sort of ran away with me there, but she _is_ pale, and you _only_ ever see her at night. But I doubt that Dumbledore would hire a vampire. Even if he wanted to, the staff would be against it, but what if Dumbledore didn't know? I mean, she does suddenly appear out of nowhere in places, it's kind of freaky…

"Padfoot! Professor Philomena is _not _a vampire you idiot!" That was Remus. Again. Why can't he just mind his own bloody business? It's not like _I _always annoy him. Oh wait…

"How do you know? She could be, she's only around at night, she's got pale skin, she appears all of a sudden out of nowhere, she's got freaky eyes," I listed.

Remus rolled his eyes, "You're worse than Peter, with all of your stupid theories."

I ignored him. Remus absolutely loves Philomena. Well maybe not to that extent, but I wouldn't be surprised. He probably has a crush on her or something. Philomena is always talking to Remus, helping him, and favouring him.

"I do _not _have a bloody crush on Professor Philomena! Sirius, you're such an idiot, I swear." Remus was at it again. When will he shut up? "And look at your quotes! They're meant to describe the teacher or be something wise they say, you're not meant to mock them!" Remus whinged. Lalalalalalala. Ignore.

Anyway. Back to Philomena, she's quite a nice teacher actually, she teaches pretty well, and she showed me the star Sirius in the Second Year, (did you know that it's the _brightest _star in the sky?). So even if Philomena is a vampire I don't mind cause she's pretty neat.

**Argus Filch, Hogwarts Caretaker:**

**_Quote from Filchy: _**_"Come out you brats! If I don't find you my Mrs. Norris will! Mrs. Norris knows all and she will get you, if not today then **one day**!" – Um… yeah… Can someone say **insane**? _

Filch is the caretaker of Hogwarts and oh how I hate him. But who doesn't? Filch is a particularly nasty man who takes pleasure in and finds it his duty to punish every student that has stepped a toe out of line. Especially us.

Filch absolutely hates James, Remus, Peter and I, mainly because we cause all the havoc that goes on in the castle, and the beauty of it is that Filch can hardly ever catch us, no one can prove that we've done something but everybody knows that it was us. That's what I love about being a famous prankster. Filch goes to all ends to accuse us of anything and everything but he can hardly ever prove it, and in the rare situation that he does catch us in the act of something he never gets to punish us the way that he would like. Of which I'm extremely glad, I'd hate to see what Filch would do to students if he were allowed to punish them the way he wants.

Filch also has a cat named Mrs. Norris the second (another reason why cats are on my most disliked animals list), Mrs. Norris for short, (apparently he names _every_ cat he has Mrs. Norris, talk about off your rocker!) who basically prowls around for Filch on the watch for students out of bed or causing havoc, when she spots a student she runs off and Filch is there five seconds later. It's rather annoying. Although we have the Invisibility Cloak sometimes I have the feeling that the stupid cat can see through it, I have no idea how, but it gets bloody annoying. Once James and I kidnapped Mrs. Norris, and Filch was ready to murder someone. Of course he couldn't prove that it was us but he was ready to murder us anyway. It was quite amusing really.

**Madam Poppy Pomfrey, School Nurse:**

**_Quote from Pomfrey: _**_"Oh, you poor thing! You must be in terrible pain! Shhh, don't speak, it'll only make it worse, don't worry I'll fix everything…" – That was when Peter twisted his ankle…_

Madam Pomfrey is the Hogwarts nurse. She's extremely overprotective of students that have been hurt, once I broke my leg and she made me stay in bed for three days! Her overprotective-ness can get very annoying, especially if you want to get out of the Hospital Wing and do something. She's extremely protective of Remus of course, and she won't let him out of her sight after his transformations, Remus has to ensure her that he's perfectly fine about 500 times before she'll let him out of the Hospital Wing. It can be very amusing but other times it's just annoying because we need Remus for pranks. Pomfrey is the initial reason why Remus is a chocoholic. She always stuffs chocolate into his mouth after his transformations and now Remus eats it out of habit. Maybe he thinks that if he eats enough chocolate he won't be in as much pain on the full moon, actually, I don't think he's _that _stupid. I don't know, but I'm very surprised that Remus isn't ten thousand kilos by now.

The good thing about Pomfrey is that she never asks too many questions about how we get hurt, which is good because our pranks _sometimes_ backfire (yes, I admit it), and she is mostly kind to her patients. Except she always tells James, Peter and I to leave Remus alone and that he 'needs his bed rest' when we go to visit him after his transformations.

**Madam Irma Pince, Librarian:**

**_Quote from Pincey: _**_"Shhhh! You're disturbing the books! They need their rest! Get your grimy hands off my precious books! Get out this instance!" – Er, yeah… did I mention half the staff at Hogwarts is insane?_

Aah, the lovely Pince, such a lovely and pleasant librarian. Pince is strict, irritable and looks like a vulture without any wings. She absolutely hates James, Peter and I, because we're always talking in the library, I swear, one time I was talking to James and she hit me over the head with a very heavy book. Talk about assault! I'll never be the same again.

Also if you eat in the library she'll chase you with a pile of books ready to fling them at you half way to the Great Hall, she doesn't want to let us borrow books but she'll throw them at you instead.

Honestly, I will never understand that woman. Er, not that I _want _to or anything. Pince even puts nasty spells or hexes on books so that people return them on time, she is very protective of her books and generally hates all students that put their 'grubby' hands on them. Although Pince hates James, Peter and I she is more pleasant to Remus. Mainly because he is polite to her, he tries not to talk in the library and he does his work most of the time. It's extremely funny because she always glares at me, James or Peter when we walk into the library but when Remus walks in she sort is on the verge of actually _smiling_ (yes I know, amazing isn't it?!). He's the only one to have domesticated the Dragon Lady – (the name by which she is officially known by, either that or Vulture Lady, I don't know which one sounds better, they both describe her exceptionally well). It's extremely amusing. Yes, Remus and Dragon Lady get on quite well.

"Sirius! Will you _stop _writing about how I get on well with every female staff member! Just because I'm _polite_ to them it doesn't mean we're jolly old friends!" That was Remus, yet again. Just ignore him. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

**Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds:**

**_Quote from Hagrid: _**_"Ah, Dragons, lovely creatures aren't they, they're so lovable, wouldna' hurt a fly…"- ah, yeah, Dragons wouldn't hurt a fly, they'd only burn it to a crisp, that's all…_

Hagrid, the enormous, beetle-eyed, hairy, dragon-loving groundskeeper is quite a nice person. He absolutely loves all creatures great and hairy, scaly and hideous and dark and dangerous. It's crazy.

Once he got hold of a baby Griffin, (I have no idea how) and tried to tame it. Which didn't work very well, because Griffins don't like being trained, especially by someone like Hagrid. I think in the end Dumbledore sent it away. Hagrid's tried things like that quite a number of times. Next he'll be getting a bloody Chimera or something.

We don't see Hagrid that much, but when we do he's always nice to us, he's a strange man, and can be very sensitive despite his 'tough' exterior.

Hagrid also covers up for us sometimes, once when we were caught walking out of the Forbidden Forest at night and Hagrid covered up for us, that was good of him.

Some students are scared of Hagrid because of his size, others, like the Slytherins hate him; they're always calling him names and stuff.

**Madam Jocunda Skyes, Flying Instructor and Quidditch Referee:**

**_Quote from Sykes:_**_ "If I can fly all the way across the Atlantic with nothing but my own broomstick then surely you can mount yours!"- To various students who couldn't mount their broomsticks. _

****

Sykes teaches flying to first years and she referees the Quidditch games, she's very passionate about flying and Quidditch.

Sykes was the first person to fly across the Atlantic on a broomstick (which she likes to refer to _a lot_) and she even has her own chocolate frog card because of it. She's pretty cool although she pushes the students too hard, she really doesn't take no for an answer. She's very strong-willed and driven-especially when it comes to teaching kids flying!

For example, on our first day of flying Peter couldn't fly the broomstick after mounting it, it just would not move, and Peter kept on telling Sykes that he couldn't fly, but she kept on insisting that he could, and she kept on making him try and fly, and in the end he flew straight into a tree! Luckily for him that it wasn't the Whomping Willow. After that ordeal he hasn't been on a broomstick since, though James and I convinced him to fly one last summer, I really think he's allergic to them.

Anyway, as you can see Sykes is a little too over the top in encouraging her students, basically if you don't attempt to fly a broomstick the first time she'd probably pick you up and physically put you on the broomstick herself. She thinks we're all made of steel or something, and that everyone can and will fly - even if it means falling fifty feet from the air in the process.

Aaaaah! Please don't maul me or anything! I know I probably deserve it for not updating in soooo long, but if you hurt me now then no one could write the story could they? See I had to update for you at the expense of me not doing my work because I felt so bad. And I know that it isn't well a 'proper' chapter, if you like, but I will try to post Sirius' first day soon- which is two separate chapters because they're so long!

Anyway, I hope your still reading!

I'm **so so so very sorry** that I haven't updated in ages! I've been really busy, with school, exams, and my beta's been busy as well, and my aunty coming to Aust. and showing her places, anyway I'm sure you don't need to hear my life story, but just wanted to let you know I'm still alive (amazing isn't it?) and I'm still writing the story, so don't give up on me yet! And **thank you everyone** for your great wonderful reviews! Keep them coming, it's what keeps me writing.

And please keep reading, and once again sorry for taking so long, and thank you for your reviews, they mean a lot to me! Now, on to some replies!

**Kady Rilla Wholli**- Thank you very much! Well, what's to come in future? Hmm, just the usual stuff MWPP do I guess, I can't even remember, I haven't been working on the story for a while! There will be appearances by Bellatrix, Narcissa & Snape and the Slytherins, pranks, the forbidden forest and other stuff (I can't give too much away! ;)). I'll take a look at your story soon maybe, when I have some time!

**Ronda-Silverpaw**- Yes, poor Remus. Thanks a lot!

**Sinical-Sarchasm**- You should write about that plot bunny if you haven't already, I could see it now! It would be great if the Sorting Hat tried to put everyone in Slytherin seeing as most of the students are against the idea, yes there was fragments of that in this fic, I originally had this in the part where Peter was sorted:

"_Yes, I can talk in your head, now where to put you? Hmm, let me see, ah yes, you strive to fit in do you not?" I nodded, "yes, I thought so, ah, there's also a thirst to prove yourself, and you also have a cunning mind, you would fit in if you were in Slytherin hmm, where to put you I wonder?" I don't want to be in Hufflepuff, please not Hufflepuff, or Slytherin, I thought as the hat continued on "Hmm, my, I say, what is with all you kids this year? I've never seen such a bunch of whiners, 'I want to be in Gryffindor, not Slytherin or Hufflepuff,' I mean, it is I the Sorting Hat who makes the final decision, not you, back in the good old days the students hadn't had any objections, and they were placed where I placed them…" I cleared my throat uncertainly; I certainly didn't want to be sitting here with everyone's eyes on me while the hat talked itself into oblivion._

But I left it out. I read one of your fic's (the one about Severus writing a letter to Harry), though I can't remember it much, it was so long ago, but it was very good, but very depressing! You can blab on as much as you want. Yeah Remus was fairly self-pitying in this chapter but you know, he would be fairly miserable and probably was thinking all of those things. Thanks for a great review!

**Lita**- Lol, Sirius is okay for the moment, and Lily and James won't pair up until 7th Year. Lol.

**EloraCooper4**- Thanks again for your great review! Glad you found the Sorting Hat funny, I wanted to make it funnier but I didn't, read the bit that I had in there in Sinical-Sarchasm's reply, see, it was intentionally funny. I like a funny Sorting Hat. I'm glad you like the way I wrote Remus. Yes school is _supposed_ to be important, but meh, I am sick of it all. James doesn't notice Lily properly until 2nd year, but he does play a couple of pranks on her in 1st year and there are some arguments. Classic Lily and James.

**Caitlin**- That's okay! I hope you survived the long wait for this one though! Peter won't be too much of a rat though, it's weird, I used to completely hate Peter, I still do, though there is something about the kid Peter that's okay, I think he was okay in his school years, and I'll try and convince you of this in later chapters! See when I finish the story if you turn out to maybe sort of not like, but you know, not hate Peter too much. I don't know if what I said just then makes a whole lot of sense! I will try to put a few serious Sirius puns from James, but it does seem overdone so many times, but your right all fics should have one or two!!

**TheSilverLady**- Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it!

**KilluaBakura**- Yes, poor Remus, but he will be okay! After all Hogwarts was the best years of his life.

**Cestari**- Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it!

**Snuffles2984**- Hey! Thanks very much! Glad you patiently waited for the next chapter!

**Lilykins**- Thankyou very much! I'm glad you love it, and that everyones in character, it's hard to do when you have to write from 4 peoples points of view.

**Maraudertimes**- Thank you very much! I'm so glad that you liked it. Bork! Lol. Well to get bold and italics etc. you have to save the chapter document that you're uploading as a Web Page when you go to save as, and when you upload it then it'll be there when you upload the document to ff.net. But I don't think you can do bold etc in reviews. If you want me to explain more or if I'm not making any sense (which is probably the case) just ask.

**Padfoot-911**- Thank you very muchly! Yes it was pretty funny that they're all awake worrying and they all think everyone else is asleep except for themselves, it shows they're all just as insecure as each other! Except for James, he really doesn't have that much to worry about though, well nothing major yet…

**Gopherisgood**- Thank you very much! I love reviews like yours. I'm glad it seems real. I'm not going to write this as a slash story, so don't worry, the only major relationships will be the obvious ones L/J. Thanks again! I appreciate it a lot!

**Jac**- Lol, thanks very much! 'Peter all slimy and disgusting' lol.

**Bloodredstain**- Hi! Oh okay.

**Moony'sSweetheart**- Thank you very much. I'll try once I have time.

**VirginMari**- Thank you, I'm glad you love it! Keep reading.

**Paradox01**- Thank you, I'm glad you like it, yeah I know what you mean about Gryffindor and Sirius, but you'll just have to pretend that they did anyway, if I could be bothered to rewrite it I would change it to your suggestions though, but I forgot about that when writing the story. Thanks again!

**Inulover**- Thank you!

**Visualpurple**- Thanks, glad you like it, yes I like to write Peter as a normal person. I will put how james gets onto the Quidditch team, but that isn't until 2nd year. I;ve written it already though.

**Shikako/Last Elf**- Thankyou very much! I will keep going, don't worry!

**VeryNaughtyThoughtsAboutEstel- **(Lol, at your name! Tut tut!) Thanks very much! (And for reviewing my other stories as well!)

**Hannanora Potter**- Hi, that's okay. Thanks for reviewing again! I'm glad you liked the way Snape became Snivellus! Hehe. I read your newest chapter, it was great, as you saw in my review. ;) You won't be able to update until July?! O.O… lol, nah that's okay, I understand how busy you can get, especially when exams and school are on and things. It's really frustrating isn't it?-(school exams), anyway, I hope you can update it soon (now I'm being hypocritical!), I'm looking forward to reading more!


	10. Sirius' First Day at Hogwarts

**1971, 1st Year, 1st Day…**

**Sirius' Story:**

**_Quote of the Day: _**_Nobility is not a birthright. It is defined by one's actions_

It was breakfast on the first day of classes and we had just received our timetables from our two prefects Thomas Weatherly and Morgan West.

I was sitting with my dorm mates James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew at the Gryffindor table happily eating my breakfast when suddenly a whole hoard of owls came swooping in through a window.

Some of us got quite a shock and wondered what the hell owls were doing flying through the windows in the middle of breakfast but the older students told us they carried the daily mail.

I looked up and saw an owl swooping in my general direction. It was a very familiar looking owl. A very familiar owl that was carrying a red envelope. A red envelope that looked distinctly like a Howler. (Okay, I'll stop now, but you have to get the point!) Of course, it was inevitable that something like this should happen, but I didn't expect it to be so _soon_.

The owl in question was Zade, the owl that my mother and father and the rest of the family used, and just like them it was a particularly sinister owl, it always pecked me and annoyed me to no end. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if my mother herself trained the dumb owl to annoy me. I wouldn't put it past her.

Zade came swooping down to land on the table in front of me, causing my orange juice to tip over.

"Dumb owl!" I said, cursing, and almost instantaneously it started pecking me.

"It's a Howler!" Peter said.

"No need to state the obvious," I answered.

"You better open it mate, trust me," James said, eyeing the Howler as if it was about to explode there and then, the red envelope begun to smoke.

Of course that's what would eventually happen if I didn't open it.

By now all of the occupants in the hall were staring at me and the Howler. I looked over to the Slytherin table and saw my cousins Narcissa and Bellatrix smirking at me. Oh how I wanted to punch their stupid faces in!

The hall was silent with anticipation as I gingerly picked up the Howler and opened it. Suddenly it sprang into life and started to yell, it was my mother's voice, though unlike anything I've ever experienced, it was amplified about one hundred times so the whole of the hall could hear, (and anything within five hundred miles probably- I swear I could see the birds of the Forbidden Forest fly off in a flurry out of the corner of my eye- they probably lost half of their feathers from the shock). Just the sound of my mother's voice when she yells normally is enough to blow your eardrums out and make your eyes water.

"_Sirius Black_!" my mother's voice screeched, filling the hall with her horrible voice, the Howler literally lunged at me and nearly everyone around me jumped half way out of their seats, Peter nearly fell out of his chair.

"What do you think you are doing!? Being in Gryffindor and not in Slytherin! How _dare_ you taint the Black name so! You ungrateful little brat! I'll have you know that every single Black has been in Slytherin since before you were born, it has been that way ever since the Black family started and we'll be damned if you ruin it! Your cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa were never like this; they went straight into Slytherin without question!

Don't ever forget that you come from a pure-blood family who is proud of its lineage and if you don't clean up your act now young man, there will be trouble to pay! We don't want your associating with that bunch of filthy blood-traitors, freaks, scum and half-breeds that people call Gryffindors! Your father and I will be up shortly to talk to Dumbledore about this whole mess. You should be ashamed of yourself Sirius Black, for tainting the family name! How dare you? You ungrateful little monster!" And with that the envelope burst into flames and smouldered into ashes.

The hall rang with sudden silence. Nobody moved and not a sound was heard. I sat there, stunned, sinking as low as I could into my seat. Everyone was still staring at me. Then after a while people begun to talk in hushed whispers and gradually the noise level and movement in the hall went back to normal.

I looked over at the rest of the Gryffindors, most of them glared at me. Just great, I thought, my first day and already everyone hated me.

"What's this about Gryffindor's being filthy blood-traitors, scum and half-breeds, Sirius?" James said, rather loudly, with a threatening look in his eyes. I could feel the whole of Gryffindors' eyes on me, and I knew that they were all expecting an answer as much as James was.

I was taken aback for a minute. "…You don't think I _believe_ that, do you?" I asked slowly, looking at James, Remus and Peter.

James just stared back at me, his hazel eyes boring into my own. Remus and Peter avoided my gaze, looking very interested in their empty cereal bowls. "Do you?" I demanded again.

"Well, er, um… no…" Remus said slowly and unconvincingly, looking up at me.

"My owl could lie better than that, Remus," I said dourly. No one laughed however, not that I was expecting anyone to.

"Well, we, um, well, if you're in Gryffindor and not in Slytherin, it probably means that you don't think that then…" Peter said quietly.

"Of course I don't!" I said loudly, making sure that the other Gryffindor's would hear me, "Don't you see? That's _why_ I'm _not_ in Slytherin! Because I hate all that pure-blood mania, I don't want to be a part of it, my family is arrogant in so many ways. I never wanted to be like them, and of course I don't think you're all blood-traitors and all that," I said, hoping they'd listen. I didn't want to loose the only people that had previously showed me kindness on the first day.

"I believe you," James said slowly, "…although…" he said mock-hesitantly, "…Your mother is a _total crackpot_," James said, grinning.

I started to laugh, and soon Remus, Peter and James were laughing as well. Nearly the whole school was looking at us in bewilderment. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Narcissa and Bellatrix, and they did not look at all happy.

"And on that point," I said, laughing, "you are _totally_ right," I said, still laughing.

"So, what do you think Potions will be like?" Peter asked, once everything had gone back to normal and I did not have to prove myself to anyone.

"I don't know, but it's a double with the Slytherins so it can't be very good," James replied.

I groaned, just what we needed first up, a double lesson with the Slytherins. The first day was just getting better and better. But little did I know, that it was just about to get a whole lot worse.

The signal went for the first class to commence and James, Remus, Peter and I stood up and started to exit the hall.

"Where do we go?" Peter asked.

"I don't know," James said, "hey look, let's just follow them, they're in Gryffindor I think, it looks like they know where they're going," James said, starting to follow a girl with thick red hair and another one with long dark brown hair. We followed them until we came to one of the dungeons that some of the first years had walked into. We followed them in, wondering what to expect.__

As soon as we walked into the dungeon it instantly felt much cooler than the main castle, I almost shivered from the drop in temperature.

I stopped suddenly. James, Remus and Peter all stopped as well as they had followed me into the dungeons. I could instantly feel my jaw literally drop. I couldn't believe who was standing at the teacher's desk. I knew the face all too well.

"Sirius, what's the hold up?" James asked impatiently from behind me.

"I don't believe it…" I said in disbelief.

"Don't believe what?" James asked.

I didn't reply, but merely kept on looking at the figure standing at the front of the room. Marek Crevan. Marek Crevan was the Potions professor. The same Marek Crevan who was one of my fathers most trusted acquaintances and who had always been a close family friend of the Blacks; the Marek Crevan who preached the same pure-blood crap as my whole family. I could not believe it.

Finally, when I realized that I was holding half of the class up I gathered my wits and walked over to an empty desk, I tried to sit as far away from Crevan as I could.

I sat there stunned, one of my worst nightmares had just came true, the worst possible person I could have imagined to teach us was standing right in front of me, and would probably be here for the rest of my schooling years.

"Sirius, _what_ is your problem?" James asked me quietly as he sat down in the chair next to me.

"That's Marek Crevan!" I whispered to James frantically.

"Mary who?" James asked, confused. If I hadn't been in such a state, James' reply to the name Marek Crevan would have been hilariously funny.

"Marek Crevan!" I said again.

"Who's Marek Crevan?" James asked. I swear, sometimes his stupidity surprised even me.

"The Professor!" I replied.

"Oh," James said, "and, ah, what's wrong with that?" James asked, still oblivious.

"He's one of my father's closest friends, that's what!"

"So?" Peter said.

"So? _So_!? That man is a pure-blood mental!" I said.

"Calm down, Sirius, I'm sure he's not that bad," Remus replied.

"You don't know the half of it," I replied bitterly.

But before any of them could comment a voice was heard from the front of the room. "Sirius Black!" Crevan said, staring at me, and the whole class turned around to stare at me, "No talking unless I say so," Crevan said.

"Yes Professor," I mumbled as Crevan smiled somewhat evilly.

Crevan then returned to the center of the room to take the register, he went on to explain what Potions would involve for the next five years but I was completely tuned out so I couldn't tell you what was said.

I couldn't believe that Crevan was our Professor! I mean, it wouldn't have come as such a shock if someone in my family had told me about it, I'm sure they would have known in the summer. And then I remembered, my family and I weren't exactly on friendly terms. The only people in my family that were nice to me were my cousin Andromeda, and my uncle Alphard, and I had only seen them a couple of days during the last summer.

Andromeda still lived with her family out in the English countryside in a small mansion, though she had finished school last summer. Andromeda was Bellatrix's and Narcissa's sister, and I felt sorry for her for having two complete bitches for sisters, though I think they got on all right.

Anyway, Crevan had been a friend of the Black family for as long as I can remember; whenever we had a dinner party he was there, unless, for some reason he could not go. I never really took any notice of him, all I knew was that when he came over to visit dad they would spend long hours discussing Merlin knows what, and sometimes he would stay for dinner and sometimes he would leave straight away. He was always criticizing of Regulus and I, if we did one little thing wrong he'd notice it and tell us not to do it. It was like he thought he was our third parent or something, like he thought he could tell us what to do! When I was younger actually, I got on all right with Crevan, but as I grew up he got more and more criticizing of me and he used to give me little talks about the importance of being a pure-blood, that's when I really started to dislike him.

But why wasn't Crevan at last night's feast? I wondered. I was quite sure I would have noticed him. And he couldn't be a new teacher because Dumbledore hadn't announced any arrival of a new teacher, and I was quite sure that he would have done it at the feast if there had been any new teachers.

I felt James nudge me, "Sirius," he whispered. I didn't need to reply though, because I knew exactly what was wrong, Crevan had been staring at me, and I hadn't taken any notice.

"Now that Black is kind enough to give us his full attention I will continue…" Crevan started talking again about Potions and began to write things down about it so we could copy. He wrote about what sorts of ingredients were commonly used and stuff like that, also known as the extremely boring features of potion ingredients.

What I really begun to notice about Crevan was that he seemed to like Snivellus, he didn't really favour anyone else, but he liked Snivellus because Snivellus was always the first to finish his potion, the first to get everything right, and he did everything 'perfect'.

But what I also noticed about Crevan, and this is what bewildered me at the time, was that even though he was negative with me he seemed all right with James and Peter, which was very strange because they were both Gryffindors, and Peter was a half-blood. He seemed indifferent with Remus so far, actually during that first lesson I had a feeling that he kind of ignored Remus, and I had no idea why.

Finally, the signal went for the end of class. I started to gladly file out of the dungeon with the rest of the class when I heard Crevan's voice from the front of the room, "Black, stay here."

I groaned, what did he want? I indicated to James, Remus and Peter that they needn't wait behind for me, and when all the students had gone I turned around and made my way over to Crevan's desk.

"Yes, Cr- Professor?" I asked, stopping myself from referring to his last name just in time.

"I've noticed you've made a couple of new _friends, _Sirius." He said 'friends' in an almost scornful manner, and I noticed that he addressed me with my first name, which he never did.

"Yes sir," I replied. What else was I to say? 'Oh yes Marek, they've been great friends, in fact, the other day...'? And talk to him like we were old mates or something?

"A few, _Gryffindor_ friends." He said 'Gryffindor' in the same manner.

I didn't reply.

"Sirius, you do know the importance and place of being a pure-blood, do you not?" Crevan asked, looking me in the eye, I looked away.

"Yes Professor," I replied gravely. Why was he telling me this? Why did he think that I'd listen anyway? Little did I know that many more of these little 'talks' were to come.

"And you know full well of the importance that your family places on it?" He asked.

"Yes Professor," I replied once again.

"Then you must also know that making friends with Gryffindors puts you in a very sticky situation indeed," Crevan said. I nodded. Like I even cared what he had to say anyway!

"I suggest," he said, looking at me, "that you make friends with Slytherins in future, I'm sure Severus Snape would be very happy to be your friend," he said.

I almost scoffed at that, but stopped myself. Snape, I was very sure, loathed the sight of me, and I, him. There was no way in the world we would become friends. I'd rather face a chimera than be friends with that git.

Crevan noticed my negativities and said, "Understand that I have your own best interests in mind Sirius."

I didn't reply. My own best interests, yeah right, more like my _family's_ best interests.

"You know that your father would loathe the fact that you've made friends with Gryffindors. Sirius, we only want to see you succeed, and success does not come with lowly friends, such as those of Gryffindor," Crevan said.

By now, I had had just about enough of this 'talk'. Sure, I hardly knew James, Remus and Peter, but they seemed better than any Slytherin I'd ever encountered.

"Yes, sir," I said through gritted teeth.

"Very well then, make sure you keep that in mind, you are free to go," Crevan said as he sat back in his chair.

I turned and walked out the door. Wanting to get away from the dungeons as fast as possible I fled as fast as I could back up to the Great Hall, where the students were having their breaks just before the next couple of lessons.

The first day and already I had had two lectures! They didn't know what was best for me.

Suddenly I again had second thoughts about all this, I could tell straight away that if I kept on rebelling, there would be more people to answer to and to receive lectures from. Maybe if I just accepted the fact that I _am _a pure-blood it would have been much easier. But no, that's not what I, Sirius Black, was about.

I hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor for nothing!

I _wasn't_ like them, and I never was going to be if I could help it. Even if it meant daily lectures from my family and Crevan, even if it meant having to go against all my family believed in, even if it meant disowning the Black name, I would not be like them. I will never be like them. Ever.

Just as I resolved this however, I wasn't looking where I was going and suddenly I found myself running into two elder Gryffindors that I didn't know - whom will be referred to muscle-head (blonde-haired one) and freckle-face (red-haired one) from here on out.

"Watch where you're going kid!" one of them with blonde hair and quite a muscled body said, I think they were 7th years.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking," I said. Usually, I would have said, "_you _watch where you're going," or something equally smart but I didn't want to make any more enemies than what I already had on my first day.

"Oh, it's Sirius _Black_," the red-haired, freckle-faced one said, emphasizing my last name. They blocked my path. I had a feeling that if it had been anybody but me that had ran into them they would have let them pass.

"Shouldn't you be in _Slytherin_, Black, where the rest of your family belongs?" muscle-head said. Freckle-face laughed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, feeling quite intimidated by these seventh years.

"The whole Hall heard that Howler this morning Black! You know exactly what we're talking about; your mother was slandering Gryffindor in front of the whole school! And then you think you can just prance around the school thinking you're one of us," muscle-head said.

"You're not a Gryffindor, Black. Not to us, and other Gryffindors, you'll find, that they all agree, though they don't say anything. You might have made friends with other Gryffindors, but eventually they'll disown you, because you're just another Slytherin, you don't belong in Gryffindor," Freckle-face said, glaring at me.

I was quite taken aback at all this. If anything, I thought the Gryffindors would at least be nice to me now that I had already explained everything to James, Remus, and Peter (and the rest of the Gryffindors) at breakfast. How wrong I was.

I didn't have anything to say. I _couldn't_ say anything.

Then all of a sudden a girl with curly brown hair appeared, coming out of the nearest classroom, it was the Gryffindor prefect, Morgan West.

"What are you doing Jared?" she addressed muscle-head, "Dominic?" (freckle-face) she asked, eyeing them, she seemed to guess what was happening.

"Hi West, we were just telling Black some of the 'rules'" Dominic said.

"Well you can leave now," Morgan said to both of them.

"If you insist West," Jared said, winking at her. Then, with one last glare at me, the pair of them left.

"Don't listen to those two Sirius," Morgan said, "you better just go straight to your next class or you'll be late, the signal's about to go," she said looking at a digital watch around her wrist. And, sure enough, the signal went for the next class.

"What's your next class?" Morgan asked politely.

"Um, History of Magic I think," I replied glumly.

"Oh, Binns won't notice if you're late or not anyway. Do you know where to go?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think so," I lied.

"Well be careful then," Morgan said as she walked off to her next class.

By now the corridors were filled with bustling students all making their way to their own classes.

I don't know why exactly I told Morgan that I knew where to go when clearly I didn't. Perhaps it was because I didn't want everyone to think that I needed special prefect attention, or that I was just a useless little kid - which I felt like already anyway.

I made my way to the History of Magic classroom - or at least where I thought it to be. I couldn't keep what Dominic and Jared had said to me earlier out of my mind, … _'you're not a Gryffindor, Black. Not to us, and other Gryffindors, you'll find, that they all agree, though they don't say anything'_…

As I made my way through the corridors to the History of Magic classroom, I found that they were exactly right.

Almost every person that I knew was in Gryffindor either almost glared at me, or looked away when I walked past them. The Gryffindors that actually smiled at me were few.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, I had found the History of Magic classroom. I walked into the room to find that most of the class was already there. James had saved me a seat up the back between himself and Remus. Peter was on the other side of James. The Professor still wasn't present yet; it was good to know that I had finally managed to get to a classroom before the Professor.

"So what did Professor Crevan say?" Peter asked curiously as soon as I had sat down.

"Oh, not much really," I replied, trying to sound unperturbed.

Peter seemed happy with this answer. James, however, was not.

"But you were there all break," James said, looking at me.

"He just wanted to know about how my family was going," I lied. Instantly though, I knew that they'd know I was lying, only two hours before I had basically said how much I didn't like him. I didn't bother making up something else either so I just sat there.

"I'm sure he didn't want to just have a morning chat about how your family were going Sirius," James said.

But before I had to make something else up the Professor had entered, and in a most peculiar fashion indeed. I heard everyone gasp around me and I looked away from James to see a ghost floating through the blackboard. I felt myself gasp. Sure I had seen ghosts plenty of times, but one teaching us? That was weird and exciting at the same time. Though, if I thought that Binns' lessons were going to be exciting because he was a ghost, I soon discovered just how very wrong I was.Binns has to possess the most boring, monotone, wheezy and dry voices in the entire history of the world. And that's really saying something coming from me.

Being in Binns' lessons, I found, was about as boring as listening to my father and mother repeatedly talking about how supreme they were.

The strange thing was that Binns made exciting things in history, such as war, sound extremely dull. I was simply amazed that _anyone_ could be that boring.

Of course the class begun to take notes as soon as he started talking, but after about five minutes into the lesson I put my quill down and tuned out instead. About half an hour into the class I realized that only a quarter of the class were taking notes, which included Remus. Remus seemed to be quite the studier. James and Peter had both stopped writing about five minutes after I had.

Of course doing nothing in Binns' class led me to dwell on all that had happened so far.

In just the course of the morning I had found out that Crevan was a professor here at Hogwarts, Crevan gave me a lecture about pure-blood crap and my new friends, and the two older Gryffindors, Jared and Dominic, told me that I didn't belong in _their_ house.

Well what a nice start to my first day at Hogwarts. The thought of finally going to Hogwarts had been what had kept me happy through the summer, and now, I thought, that perhaps I didn't belong here either.

Well, where did I, Sirius Black, belong? Where would I fit in? I surely did not fit in with my family, and it seemed like I didn't fit in at Hogwarts either. Perhaps I _should_ have been in Slytherin, after all, it seemed like the much easier option.

All of these thoughts, however, were interrupted as a small folded piece of parchment landed on my table in front of me, I looked over at James, and he was pointing at the note that had landed on the table.

I read the note:

_Sirius, what's wrong? You don't look too happy, what happened with Crevan?_

Of course I didn't look very happy. Very observant of you, James.

_I'm fine, just first day nerves, you know. _I wrote back, I threw the note back at him. All this note writing was pointless, I deemed, as I looked up at Binns, whom was still droning on.

Binns hadn't even noticed that three quarters of his class were no longer paying attention to him and I'm sure he wouldn't notice James and I passing notes. In fact, I'm sure he wouldn't even notice if the school blew up around us, he'd probably just keep talking about Ulric the Ugly.

_Yeah right Sirius. What's really wrong? Is it something to do with your family?_

James wrote back.

Why wouldn't he just give up on it already? It was clear that I didn't want to talk about it. Did I have to spell it out to him? That was the thing that first made me start to like James, his straight-to-the-point manner, and failure to give up on things. I really liked that about James' personality, but then however, it really irritated me that he wouldn't give up.

_Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay? Just don't worry about it! Drop it!_

I wrote back. Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh, but right then I didn't really care, I was getting sick of James' constant pestering for me to tell him what was wrong. If I didn't want to tell him then he shouldn't keep on bloody well asking. Needless to say, he didn't write back.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the signal went for lunch and I was glad to get out of the classroom.

When we arrived down at the Great Hall we found that there were already many students there. About five minutes after I had sat down and began eating my roast beef, McGonagall came marching up to the Gryffindor table.

"Black, come with me please," she said briskly, looking down at me.

-----------------------

Poor Sirius. Well this was a very long chapter so I hope that makes up for not updating, there's more to come, originally it was longer than it is now but I seperated it into two chapters. Ooh, a cliffhanger! Don't worry I'll probably update soon, I really can't help updating because I love the reviews and hearing what you all think about the chapters… so… please review! (If you haven't already). And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I love you all!

**Gemma**- Thankyou, I'm glad you like the story! I've been thinking about Sirius' death and I'm not sure now what happened to him, I just _hope _he's not dead. Though J.K cried when she wrote about his death. L. But he lives on in fanfiction!

**Leena-Sama-** Hey! Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it, well here's more for you. Hagrid actually was the gameskeeper when James etc. were there, Hagrid was a student when Tom Riddle was at school, which was before MWPP's time, when Dumbledore was a Transfiguration teacher, Hagrid was a student at Hogwarts in the late 30's early 40's. Thanks again for your review!

**Ronda-Silverpaw**- Thank you! I'm glad you liked it, and the Dumbledore part. He's a little insane! Haha. Oh and I just wanted to tell you that I _love _your stories! I read some and didn't realize they were yours, but I do really like them! (Yes, I have officially turned into a slasher! It wasn't _meant_ to happen!)

**DracosPrincess1**- Lol. Thank you! Please don't die on account of me updating my story! I don't want to be held responsible, lol, (only joking) but please don't die! I'm glad you like the story! 

**LibbyBird**- Thank you! I'm glad you like it, and you're glued to your seat! J

**Mimi**- Thank you! I will.

**Linker27**- Thank you! Yes of course I will post more, I'm intending to finish it.

**V.N.T.A. Estel**- Yes I recognise you! Thankyou!

**Potterfan18**- Thank you! I'm glad you liked the interruptions between Remus and Sirius. They're funny together!

**Killua** **Bakura**- Lol. Yes he is, I mean, who wouldn't mock the teachers if you had a bunch of crazy people teaching you! Lol.

**This Parrot has ceased to be**- Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked this chapter. I like writing about insane people, esp. from Sirius' POV, it's fun! I will try to update when I can. Thanks for the support!

**Padfoot911**- I'm glad you liked it! I love Sirius' sense of humour as well, he's great! And I'm glad you liked the quotes, I like them too, except some were hard to think of.

**Blood red stain**- Thankyou! Glad you like Sirius, (who doesn't? Honestly, half the chapters will turn out to be from his point of view! Not that I'm biased! ;) Lol.)


	11. The Choice of Sirius Black

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything from the Harry Potter universe. Everybody should know that by now.

**Author's Notes: **Thank goes to Egwene, my beta for beta-ing the story and for putting up with me! And also I would like to thank **paradox01** for giving me the idea about the Gryffindors not being so accepting of Sirius, it's thanks to you that this idea was in the chapter on Sirius. So thank you very much paradox! I'm dedicating this chapter to you, and to all my reviewers.

**Sirius' Story:**

**Year, 1971 (Do I _really_ have to constantly remind you what year I'm talking about?! I mean _really_, even Peter or Mrs. Norris could remember stuff like this!)**

**_Quote of the Day: _**_"__Our choices determine who we are, and it will be our future choices that determine our destiny." – Said by Albus Dumbledore___

Well as you can imagine, I was perfectly terrified. I looked at James, Remus and Peter, they all had bewildered looks on their faces, and did not offer any support.

Why did McGonagall want to see _me_ for? And then it hit me, the incident on the train! That was what she'd want to talk to me about, and she didn't sound very happy either - (though, later, I found that this wasn't anything unusual for McGonagall). But why, if this _was_ about the train incident, didn't McGonagall ask for James as well? After all, it was_ James_ who originally started the whole thing, even if it was accidental.

Seeing as I didn't have much choice in the matter I stood up and followed McGonagall out. Nearly every occupant in the hall was staring in my direction. As I walked past the part of the Gryffindor table where the older years sat at I could distinctly hear phrases like, "I hope they put him in Slytherin," and "maybe she's going to put him in Slytherin," and the voices that said them sounded distinctly like Jared and Dominic, the boys that had confronted me before.

I didn't look at them however, I just kept walking.

"Sorry to take you out of lunch Mr. Black, but we have a situation at hand that should be dealt with," McGonagall said as we walked through some corridors.

A situation? What kind of situation? And what did it have to do with me? I was totally confused.

"_Where_ are we going?" I asked, quite rudely, sick of being ordered to do things. To my surprise McGonagall answered.

"Professor Dumbledore's office," McGonagall replied, walking briskly along and not looking at me.

Dumbledore's office? Why was she taking me to Dumbledore's office? Was I in that much trouble that I had to go to Dumbledore?

After a while we suddenly we came to a halt in front of a stone gargoyle in an empty corridor on the second floor.

"Cauldron cakes," McGonagall said, instantly the gargoyle sprang to life and gave way to reveal a stone staircase, McGonagall stepped onto the staircase and I followed. All of a sudden the staircase started revolving and after a while it stopped.

In front of us was a shiny oak door with a brass doorknocker. McGonagall stepped off the staircase and I followed, I could hear voices coming from inside the office.

"…Sirius should be in Slytherin!" the voice said, I instantly registered the voice: it was my mother's. My stomach turned over, my mother had come to make Dumbledore change me to be in Slytherin.

"Yes Dumbledore, she's quite right." That was my father. Great, they had both come. What a happy family reunion this was going to be.

My first day at Hogwarts was turning out to be the worst day. First the Howler, then Crevan, then the elder Gryffindor meatheads, now this! I couldn't take it anymore! Why did _every_ single person think they have a say in _my_ life but me?!

McGonagall pushed the door open and entered. I followed her through the door grudgingly.

Dumbledore and my parents looked over at me upon my arrival. Dumbledore gave me a warm smile and my parents merely gave me the 'I'm-going-to-_kill_-you glare'.

"Ah, Mr. Black, take a seat please," Dumbledore said, indicating the seat in front of me, my parents obviously chose to stand - as if Dumbledore's seats weren't good enough for them, and it made them look more intimidating that way. Dumbledore, however, was sitting down in a chair behind his desk. I chose to sit down.

"Sirius! What is the meaning of this?!" My mother said, instantly rounding on me, "_Why_ are you in Gryffindor?!" she demanded.

"I… I don't know, the Sorting Hat put me there," I offered. Clearly this was not the explanation she had been looking for. I could tell she was itching to slap me, but as long as we were in Dumbledore's presence however, she wouldn't have dared.

"He's quite right Mrs. Black, the Sorting Hat put him in Gryffindor, there is nothing we can do to change that," Dumbledore said.

"He's _meant_ to be in Slytherin! He's a _Black_ for Merlin's sake! Every single Black has been in Slytherin since the start of Hogwarts! _Every single one_," my father said, looking aggravated.

"Maybe Sirius _isn't_ meant to be in Slytherin, maybe Sirius is different to rest of the Blacks," Dumbledore said, though I knew the 'maybe' part wasn't necessary. I sure hoped so.

"The only way that he's different is that he's an ungrateful little rat!" My mother screeched, glaring at me.

"I'd advise you not to talk about our students that way Mrs. Black," McGonagall said boldly. I was definitely on McGonagall's side.

"How _dare _you tell me how to talk about my own son! You insufferable woman!" my mother said. She looked like she was ready to claw McGonagall's eyes out. McGonagall however, merely gave her a cold glare.

"Now, now Cyrilla," my father said quietly to my mother. Though I could tell he wanted to do the same to McGonagall as my mother did.

"Professor McGonagall, perhaps it'd be better for you to leave," Dumbledore said.

"If you insist," McGonagall said, "Though I wouldn't want to leave you alone with such a viper of a woman," McGonagall said. But before my mother could do anything to McGonagall she had already disappeared through the door. Ten points to McGonagall! If there was anything that my mother hated it was when another adult 'lower' (or so she thought) than her insulted her. And McGonagall obviously knew enough about my mother's character to know this.

"How _dare_ she! I'd advise you to rethink your staff Dumbledore," My father said before my mother could say anything.

"I assure you all the members of my staff are perfectly fine," Dumbledore replied.

"Not that woman!" My mother said, referring to McGonagall.

"Yes, anyway, Sirius is to be in Slytherin, not in Gryffindor!" My father said.

"I have already told you Mr. Black, what the Sorting Hat says, goes. Sirius is in Gryffindor," Dumbledore replied simply.

"We won't allow it. Any Black son of mine is in Slytherin," my father said.

"We can't have him tainting the Black family name like this! We, the Black family, are a family of honour, and, unlike others, value our legacy, and Slytherin is part of that legacy. Every Black is, and always has been in Slytherin," my mother stated, regaining once again her air of arrogance.

"I'm sure you do value your legacy Mrs. Black, but I assure you that having one son in Gryffindor _will not_ taint the family name," Dumbledore said, "in fact, it could do you the world of good," Dumbledore added with a smile.

My mother and father visibly blanched.

"The world of good?" My mother said disbelievingly, "the _world _of good?!" she repeated once again, "You obviously know nothing about what will taint the Black name Dumbledore!" My mother glared. Dumbledore however, seemed unperturbed.

"We simply cannot have Sirius in Gryffindor!" My father said, "It _will_ taint the Black family name, we demand that you move Sirius to Slytherin immediately or our future children will not be going to Hogwarts," he threatened.

"The only possible way that I will consider moving Sirius to Slytherin is if he, himself wants to," Dumbledore said looking me in the eyes, "well, Sirius, do you want to be in Slytherin?" Dumbledore asked looking at me intently.

I didn't reply. I couldn't. For the second time that day I had no idea what to say, or do. I looked at Dumbledore, his blue eyes shining.

This was the moment, the moment where I could regain my place and stature in the Black family legacy, the moment that would determine my future and everything that happened in it. I realized that it was not just a game anymore it was real life.

I looked over at my parents, both of whom were glaring at me, as if to say 'say yes or you're doomed, Sirius'.

My mother, Cyrilla Black, stood there glaring at me, her long jet black hair hanging straight down the sides of her face, and her dark stormy eyes glaring darkly out at me, her cheeks were slightly pinched and her nose small and elegant, her facial expression one of utter dislike and brutal pride, she was the epitome of the Blacks, she was terrifying and striking at the same time.

It was in these moments when I looked at her that I remembered all of the things that I had missed out on in my childhood.

My mother hardly ever showed any kind of affection towards me at all.

Over the years, as a result of Regulus' birth, she hardly paid me any attention whatsoever, she never held me close if I hurt myself, never comforted me when I had nightmares, and never once stood up for me when I fought with Regulus.

The only thing I had ever received from her was slaps in the face and long lectures. She had never shown me a proper mother's love.

My gaze shifted over to the tall figure standing behind my mother, almost flanking her, _he _had never paid me any attention whatsoever, if Cyrilla liked Regulus so would my father, if my mother hated me, so did my father. He never really voiced his own opinions but went along with my mother's. I had never had any son-like affection for my father, and he had never had any fatherly love for me.

He was always distant with me, and sometimes with Regulus, he was indifferent to his own children, and only cared if they carried on his stupid legacy.

I stared at them; they had never shown me any love or affection in my whole life.

Never.

If I were to say 'Yes' to being in Slytherin then they would be relieved. Their precious legacy, the legacy that meant more to them then their own sons' feelings, would be carried on. I would still be guaranteed a place on the family tapestry, and in their pure-blood Black legacy, but never, would I be guaranteed a place in their hearts.

"No," I said finally. My mother and father looked shocked, as if they didn't hear what I had said, I noticed a grim smile light up Dumbledore's features.

"_What. Did. You. Say_?" my mother asked, her eyes dark slits, her face shadowed and full of compressed fury.

"I said: _No_," I said, this time more clearly, and this time it gave me a deep satisfaction to say it. It was time to take a stand, against my parents, against my family, against everything they believed in, and against their legacy.

"_What do you mean 'no'_?" My father said, through gritted teeth, his face was going red with rage.

"I mean _no_. I _don't_ want to be in Slytherin," I replied.

_"How dare you?! You intolerable little wretch! You brat of a child! You're a shame of my flesh! Abomination! How **dare** you refuse your own parents! You wretch!"_ My mother screeched. She was seething. Utterly seething. She was quite ready to claw me to death. Of course I was scared of her (who the hell wouldn't be? She's capable of murder I reckon), but I almost felt like grinning at her reaction. My father, though still filled with rage at me, tried to hold her back.

"Well," Dumbledore said calmly, interrupting my mother, "it is quite clear that Sirius doesn't want to be in Slytherin, there is nothing more you can do about it. He has made the decision, he's in Gryffindor, and he will stay in Gryffindor for all of his schooling years…" he said, sealing my future, "…and his life." Dumbledore added almost as an afterthought, it was almost as if he _wanted_ to provoke the wrath of my mother. As if he took pleasure in seeing my mother go off her rocker.

What my mother said next is too full of curses and alarming insults that I won't repeat here, but my parents were perfectly furious with the outcome. Eventually (without calling Hagrid) Dumbledore managed to get my parents out of his office, and as they walked out the door, their last words to me were, "_Don't you dare come home for holidays!_" Yeah right, like I even wanted to anyway. I wasn't even planning on it.

I sat back in the chair in Dumbledore's office, quite amazed.

I had done it, I had overthrown my parents, I had sealed my own future instead of my parents determining it for me. And oh how it felt good!

I, Sirius Black, was a true individual and independent. I had finally the courage to determine what would happen to _me_. It felt like part of a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.

"Well, that's sorted then," Dumbledore said, giving me a wink and a light smile, as the door slammed shut behind my parents. "I'm afraid though Sirius, that you've taken the hard road. Indeed, there inevitably will be times when you come to regret the choice that you made here today, but those times will pass," Dumbledore said. The hard road? What did this mean? And why would I regret the choice I made? I surely didn't now.

"Professor," I said, "_why_ _did_ the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor?" I asked.

"Ah," Dumbledore said knowingly, "simply because you wanted to be in Gryffindor," Dumbledore answered. I was confused, because I wanted to?

"I don't catch you Professor… because I wanted to?" I asked, bewildered.

"It is your heart that determines your house Sirius, your heart made a choice on the night of the Sorting, and it is that choice that determined you to be in Gryffindor. It is our choices that determine who we are." Dumbledore said, smiling.

"Oh…" I replied.

I finally understood. It was my choice that determined my fate. My own choice.

As if reading my mind Dumbledore said, "And it will be your future choices that will determine your destiny."

And how right he was.

&&&&&

Thank you to everyone who has been so far reviewing, I hope you all are still enjoying the story and if you are, please let me know! I love and appreciate every reviewer and reader! I don't know when the next chapter will be out though because it still hasn't finished being beta-d yet, but it's from Remus' POV and it's his transformation.

**This Parrot has ceased to be: **Lol, crikey, your review was fast too! Thank you. No I have not read that fic, I've never read fics on Sugar Quill, I'll have to check it out. You request more insanity? Are you sure that's a good idea? ;) hehe.

**Buta-chan: **Thank you, I'm glad you like it, don't cry!

**Goddesgaia- **Thanks! Was that fast enough?

**Ronda-Silverpaw- **No he's not having a very good day, but he'll be fine soon! Well you helped me turn into more of a slasher! Any more stories I can read?

**Black Mistress: **Sorry for the cliffhanger! I hope I updated quick enough! Thank you for your review! No of course I don't mind if you use the star of Sirius in your fic, I didn't even come up with that idea, I think it's been used in a lot of fanfics by now. I know it would suck to be killed by your own cousin, to say the least. I hate Bellatrix so much right now! She should have died! On Narcissa's age- well I always think of the Black sisters as Andromeda being the oldest, then Bella, then Narcissa, I don't know why, Narcissa seems to me more of the baby of the three. And I think it would fit for Lucius to be some years older than Narcissa anyway. Lucius is about 6 years older than Narcissa, but I don't think it matters much when you're older. Wow, I'm glad I inspired you! And you can advertise my fic as much as you want! Thanks again for your great review!

**EloraCooper4- **Hello! Nice to see you reviewing again, that's okay that you didn't review straight away before, as long as you review, hehe ;). I'm glad you liked the Prof. Chapter and Remus' and Sirius' discussions, they're so funny together! I love them to death. Well there won't be much of Morgan I don't think, unless you definitely want more of her, but she hasn't featured much. Yep, Andromeda has met Tonks; they'll be featuring in the summer soon! Thanks for your reviews! Glad to hear from you!

**Marsexplorer- **Well I hope I updated quickly enough!

**Hannanora-Potter- **Hi! Computers can be so annoying can't they? Thanks for your review; yes Sirius' mother is definitely a bitch. I feel so sorry for Sirius, but yay, this chapter he stood up against them! Go Sirius! It's your birthday, we're gonna party like it's your birthday! Uh, anyway, I'll be quiet now…

**Rosaline- **Thank you very much! I'm glad your enjoying the story, and Sirius' character. Who doesn't enjoy Sirius' POV?! Thanks for sending it to your friends to read as well, that's great! Thanks very much for your comments, I hope you continue to enjoy!

**Goldilocks31890- **Thank you again! That's okay that you didn't review last chapter, thanks for reviewing this one! I hope this is enough for you for the time being!

**Tanya J Potter- **Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! Well, actually there will be a few brief encounters between Lily & James in the next couple of chapters, but not yet.

**Padfoot-911- **Yes poor Sirius, I feel so sorry for him, but he's okay. I love Sirius too, so much! I'm glad you liked the chapter! Hope you liked this chapter.

**DracosPrincess1- **Thanks, yeah I'm going to write Remus' and James' and Peters' POV soon. Remus' will be next chapter. I just can't help writing from Sirius' POV because it's fun and I love Sirius lots! But there will definitely be a lot more from the others. I tried to make it all equal. But Sirius just kind of demanded to have his POV first. Lol. ;)

**Visualpurple- **Lol, sorry for making you wait for so long, but I had a lot to do, it gets like that sometimes. Annoying. I'd much rather do this story than homework any day! I'm glad you liked Sirius' chapter. I personally believe he is the best also, with Remus very very close behind, then James very very close behind that. And Peter last. But the kid's okay. Hehe


	12. The Moon at Midnight

**1971, 1st Year**

**Remus' Rants:**

**_Quote of the Day: _**_'Every time I've held a rose it seems that I've only felt the thorns' _

The first week of the year flew by quite quickly and I found that James, Sirius and Peter were turning out to be great friends. The first year was the year we formed close friendships with each other.

I discovered that at Hogwarts I was the happiest of all, I was surrounded by great friends and it was one of the happiest times of my life.

It was the beginning of friendship for us, but I still felt ashamed because I couldn't tell James, Sirius or Peter about my true condition.

It was just before midnight on a Friday night of the first week that we had our first Astronomy lesson. I was looking somewhat forward to Astronomy; the midnight skies had always fascinated me.

Before I was bitten I always would wonder what was really out there in the vast space that surrounded the earth.

When I looked out at the night skies it made the whole world seem insignificant and small.

When I was little, on a clear night, I always used to look out at the stars. And on cool breezy nights mum, dad and I would sit outside on the porch and dad would tell us the names of stars, and what they meant, and we would make out animal shapes from the stars, like you do with clouds. Dad would tell us stories of how the stars originally came to be in the sky. He said that almost every star had a name and history, and that they were named after people or the people were placed in the stars.

I loved all these wondrous stories about the stars; they took me to another world and suggested something bigger and grander than the earth itself.

But when I was bitten everything changed, I no longer looked out at the sky.

I no longer sat on the porch with my parents for hours and named stars, or listened to my father's stories about them, reveling in the wonder that was the midnight sky, because I hated to look at the moon, I hated the look of it, I hated the way it leered at me.

Every night it would smirk at me from it's position in the sky, almost as if it was saying 'just five more days, five more days,' and I hated it. It would always be there, even the slightest fingernail of a moon was still an indication that it was there in the sky and I wished so much that one day when I looked up in the night sky, the moon would not be there. But of course, it always was.

Even though I felt all this, it sort of felt good to be studying the sky again, even if it wasn't with my parents. It felt like a homely feeling, the feeling that I had felt before I was bitten.

Sirius' voice interrupted my thoughts suddenly "Where's my bloody star chart!?" Sirius was searching the dormitory, turning things upside down and inside out searching for his said star chart.

"In the last place that you put it," James said cheekily, he too was getting ready for the Astronomy lesson.

"Well duh James, how thick do you think I am?" Sirius asked, not expecting an answer.

"Now do you _really_ want us to answer that, Sirius?" James replied.

"Shut up and help me look for my blasted star chart," Sirius said.

I stood up and began to gather up my equipment for Astronomy, Peter and James did the same. At least they were organized, I thought to myself as Sirius flung assorted items around the room.

"You can borrow mine if you want," James offered.

"I don't _want _to borrow yours, I want my _own_," Sirius said stubbornly, still flinging things around and rummaging through his trunk.

"Suit yourself then, but don't say I didn't offer," James replied.

We waited another five minutes, and still there was no sign of Sirius' star chart "We're late Sirius, come on, we've got to go, you can borrow James' chart," I said as I made my way to the door.

"He doesn't _want _to borrow mine," James replied.

"I'll find it, just give me a couple more minutes," Sirius replied, rummaging around.

"No, we're going now," I said firmly, opening the door.

James, Peter and I stood in the doorway, waiting for Sirius. Sirius finally gave in, and, taking one last almost mournful look around the room, he followed us out the door.

Once we were out of the portrait hole we started off towards the Astronomy tower. It was a fairly cold night and a cool breeze hit my face and lifted my hair.

"Uh, where exactly _is _the Astronomy tower?" Sirius asked, walking along.

"It's the tallest tower in the school," I answered.

"So… that would be _that_ one," Sirius replied, pointing to the tallest tower in the castle.

"Well done," I replied, somewhat sardonically.

We walked on in silence, and once we got to the foot of the tower we started to climb the many stairs.

"Why are there so many stairs? This _is_ a _magical _school, I mean, can't they invent something so we don't have to climb so high?" Peter complained.

"Stop whining Peter," I answered irritably. Usually I wasn't snappy like this or edgy, but as it was, the next full moon was in three nights.

This would be the first time that I would transform out of my home, without my parents. Even though my parents couldn't be with me at transformation time, I always found comfort in the thought that they were still there, still around, even if not right in front of me. This would be my first time without them there, and I felt afraid.

Dumbledore had already gone over the plans for the full moon with me on the night of the feast.

Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, was to meet me outside the portrait hole at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and she was to escort me to and from the Whomping Willow; I would push the knot on the trunk with a stick and climb up through the tunnel and into the shack above it, where I was to transform.

The next day, Madam Pomfrey or a teacher, would come and take me back to school, to the Hospital Wing.

"Well, here we are," James' voice broke into my thoughts, and I found that my contemplations had taken me all the way up to the top of the Astronomy tower.

I found myself standing at the back of a large tower, I could see the rest of Hogwarts below me, and the view stretched out for miles. The night sky seemed infinite.

I looked around and I noticed that the class was already there and seated. We were about ten minutes late.

All thanks to Sirius and his stupid star chart.

The Astronomy Professor looked over at us upon our arrival. She looked to be around her mid-thirties, she had long black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes. She smiled at us, apparently unconcerned about our lateness.

The whole class turned around also and stared at us. I noticed that we had Astronomy with the Ravenclaws.

"I'll assume you're Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew?" The teacher asked us. We nodded silently.

"Take a seat," the professor indicated to four large, vacant comfy looking beanbags, we made our way over to them and sat down.

"As I was saying," the professor resumed talking, "I'm Professor Philomena, and I'll be your teacher for this year, and hopefully for others. You are here to learn about the night sky and all its extraordinary wonders…" Professor Philomena went on to explain about what we were to study in Astronomy, and about the universe.

I looked out at the sky, it was a chilly night and the stars were out in all their brightness.

So was the moon, and it was almost full.

Turning my attention to the class instead Professor Philomena caught my eye for a couple of seconds; she had a look of understanding in her eye.

I looked away quickly. What did this mean? Did she know about me? I slapped myself mentally.

 Of course she did, the whole staff had to know.

I gazed around at the class absent mindedly, noticing two girls, both Gryffindors, Lavinia Fletcher and Alanna Capes, who were giggling and passing notes to each other. This kind of irritated me, I didn't exactly know why though.

After Professor Philomena finished talking about Astronomy she instructed us to locate and fill in the position of the moon on our star-charts, as it would be particularly easy. I heard Sirius curse beside me quietly and say, "I knew we'd be using it!" Sirius then shared James' and no more was said about it.

After everyone had located the moon on our star charts we were free to go, as the bell wasn't going to ring in the middle of a Friday night.

Students started filing out of the tower and walking down the stairs.

"Mr. Lupin," Professor Philomena's voice filtered through the night sky.

I turned around, "Yes Professor?" I asked.

"I'd like to see you for a minute if you please."

I nodded, and turned back around to the waiting James, Sirius and Peter, "you go ahead," I said to them quietly.

"You sure?" James asked.

I nodded. James, Sirius and Peter turned around and descended down the staircase.

I made my way over to Professor Philomena, who was standing on the edge of the tower, looking out at the dark night sky.

"Mr. Lupin, do you know what 'Philomena' means?" Professor Philomena asked, totally out of the blue. I wondered why she was asking this. And why me?  
  
"Er, no Professor…" I answered honestly.

"It means 'lover of the moon'," Professor Philomena answered, still looking out at the sky.

I snorted without meaning to. How could anyone love the moon? Why was she telling _me _this?

"You think it's strange to appreciate it?" Philomena asked, now gazing over at me, her dark eyes seemed to look into my soul. It was kind of unnerving.

"Well, yes, I mean, no, I don't think it strange, I just… I just don't know how anyone could _love _it, I mean, I don't… I don't… know, I hate it," I finished hopelessly.

"Because you are a werewolf?" She asked simply.

I looked over at her, surprised. I had already guessed that she knew about me already, but hearing her actually say it came as a mild shock.

Hearing those words from anyone but Dumbledore or my parents was strange. And yet, somehow, I felt a strange comfort in them.

"Yes," I gulped, then continued, "I… I… how can I _not _hate it? It is part of the reason why I turn into a murderous beast once a month," I confessed.

I had no idea why I was telling the Astronomy Professor all those things, things that I had never even told anyone else, but it seemed that I could trust her, and I felt somehow comfortable telling her.

"Remus, look at the moon," Professor Philomena indicated to the large glowing orb hanging in the sky, I looked up at it, and I felt fearful. It seemed as if, like many times that night, that the moon was seemingly leering at me, saying 'only three more nights'.

It would be only three nights before I would turn into a savage beast. Only three nights left until the moon was entirely full.

Professor Philomena sensed my fear somehow and said, "I mean _really_ look at it, look at the unmistakable beauty in it, can't you see it?" Philomena asked, gazing at the moon.

I did as she suggested and stared intently at it, after a while I _did_ realize an unmistakable beauty about the glowing orb; it _did_ have a natural splendor about it.

The way its silvery light shone out from the moon was undeniably and disturbingly beautiful, it seemed to be two things at once, beautiful but also menacing.

For the first time since my fatal bite I saw the waxing moon through the eyes of my five year old self. I saw the moon in all its beauty. The moon seemed a thing of ultimate beauty, shining its splendorous pearly light down onto the earth, but it was also a thing of malice, where it controlled the state that I would be in in three more nights.

I looked up at the moon with wide eyes, never had I seen it quite like this before, and it unnerved me. I tore my eyes away from it, seemingly shocked at this unsettling revelation.

"You realize its dark beauty, don't you?" Professor Philomena asked me quietly.

"Y…Yes," I stuttered.

"You see Remus, the moon is not just a thing of evil, but also of wild beauty, and you should realize this," Professor Philomena said finally.

I took in her words, wondering why I should realize this. These words seemed like an indication that the conversation was over, and that the ultimate lesson had been taught. I turned to pick up my belongings and walked over to the stairs, ready to descend down the long stairwell.

I had just took my first step down the stairs when I heard Professor Philomena's voice behind me yet again, "Mr. Lupin," she said softly.

"Yes?" I asked as I turned back around, she had also turned around.

"Do tell Sirius Black to bring his star chart for the next lesson, won't you?" she said with a smile, her eyes glittering.

"Yes, of… of course," I said, then turned around and started the long descent down the stairway.

I managed to walk all the way back to the Gryffindor common room thinking about the things that had just happened and the revelations that I had just realized. All the while the moon's silvery light shone down on me.

Once I had got back to our dormitory I found Sirius, James and Peter lying sprawled out on the top of their beds in their school robes, fast asleep.

I smiled.

They must have been waiting for me to return, and fell asleep in the process.

I walked to each of their beds in turn and pulled the covers over them. When I went to pull Sirius' covers over him I saw a small piece of parchment peeking out from under the bottom of his blanket. I pulled the parchment out fully from under the blanket. It was Sirius' star chart. Though what the heck it was doing in his bed, no one will ever know. I smiled and placed it on his bedside table. Hopefully there it would be noticed and not lost.

I looked back around at the sleeping forms of Sirius, James and Peter; their school robes still covered them. I definitely was _not_ going to change those for them, even if they _were_ great friends.

Once Sirius, James and Peter looked somewhat settled I climbed into bed, not bothering to change out of my school robes.

While lying in my warm bed I looked out the window up to the full moon. It _did _have a dark beauty to it. It did seem to be all that Professor Philomena had said. And at that moment I realized that all of what Professor Philomena had said was undeniably true.

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**Author's Notes: **Hiya! Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed, I love you all. (Probably sick of hearing that, eh?) This was a bit of a short chapter because originally it was about 20 pages long, so I had to separate it into two chapters, the next one will be Remus' first transformation at Hogwarts. Anyway, this will go basically from Sirius' troubles to Remus', so it won't exactly be light-hearted marauder pranks and stuff.

As to the Quote of the Day, it's a Billy Joel quote thing, but I think it fits for this chapter. And I couldn't find any others.

I haven't seen PoA yet cause it's not released here until the 10th- and even then I won't be seeing it for a while cause we live an hour away from a decent cinema. Wahh. I have no idea what that had to do with anything, but I felt like sharing. Anyway, as to James being a Chaser in this fic well, in an interview J.K.R said that he was a Chaser, so he is in the fic. Hope that's cleared up any confusion about it later on. I thought he was a Seeker as well, especially because of the movie, but J.K said he's a Chaser, so until she says different he's going to be a Chaser. Thanks for listening!

**Ash- **Wow! Thank you so much! I really really really appreciate that! I love you! Thankyou so much!

**Lil qt wanna b Lily- **Thank you very very much! I might take a look later.

**Koriaena- **Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

**Weirdochelle- **Thankyou very much!

**Oddball- **Thankyou very much! Hmm, you know what, that thought never occurred to me, slaps self in the head I can't believe I didn't think of that! Well, er, maybe he can stand the little things that are silver.

**Lisa- **Thankyou, I'm glad you like it. But it doesn't say anywhere in the books that James is a Seeker, it says in the movie, and J.K said he's a Chaser. Thankyou for reviewing!

**DancingDobby- **Thankyou, I'm glad you are enjoying the story. I like your reviews. Yeah I know the prologue dragged on for a bit, but you know, I wanted to show Remus' grief about loosing Sirius, I could have made it worse ;). Hehe. Thanks again for your reviews!

**Faith-Tse- **Thankyou very much! I'm glad you like the way I portray them.

**Jai-Moony- **Thankyou! Glad you like it. Hope I updated quick enough for you!

**Padfoot-911- **Thankyou, glad you liked the chapter. Well yes, Sirius is going to be braver, more impulsive, cocky, etc, as he grows up. I think at the beginning Sirius would have a few second thoughts on everything he's been doing etc. I mean, I would too if it was against my whole crazy family. Thanks!

**Kady Rilla Wholi- **That's okay J. I'm glad you liked Cyrilla, I quite like her too, for some morbid reason. Heh. Sirius is my fave too.

**Dracos Princess 1- **Wow! Thanks! That sure was a lotta words, and I thankyou for each and every one of them. Thankyou so very very very much! :D. And, if I haven't said it enough, Thankyou!!!

**Ronda-Silverpaw- **Lol. Yeah there are loads, but I don't know which ones to read! Too many of them! Lol. Hope your comp recovers soon. Send it my regards. Lol.

**Squirrel-bladder4- **Thankyou! Hope I didn't make you too sad. I'm glad you liked it.

**Accio Flaming Stake- **(Hehe, cool name). Thankyou very much! I'm glad you like it! Wickedly brilliant, that sounds cool. I salute you too! I love Sirius! Yes his cocky self will be making a reappearance. Well he already has actually.

**Visualpurple- **Yep, Sirius sure is my fave character. I don't have anything in common with Sirius either, (well, except for dark hair lol) I have more in common with Moony as well. Strange. I had to go look up superlative in the dictionary, hehe. Oh don't you just love Forever Alive? It's my favourite story, Mordred is the best!

**Hannanora-Potter- **Lol. Yeah, Go Sirius, Go Sirius! Jumps up and down with pom poms Ahem. Anyway, I will try!

**Black Vengeance- **(Cool name), thankyou, I like your reviews! I liked to show Remus' feelings more than Harry's, Remus has been Sirius' best friend nearly all his life and I think he would have been so depressed (to say the least) when Sirius died. Thankyou for your comments!

**Black Mistress- **I'm glad you liked the way I portrayed the Blacks. They're evil. It's everybody's fault that Sirius dies! Well, actually, I don't know who's fault it is. I haven't read OotP in a while so now I'm completely immersed in fanfic that it seems like he's alive anyway. There's a TV show called Andromeda? Hmm. Glad you love the quotes, I have a doc with all my cool quotes for this. I'm too lazy to write them down as well. Hope you liked the chapter!

**JBanana- **Hope this was quick enough for you! I love Sirius and Remus as well!

**Goldilocks31890- **Hope that was quick enough! I haven't seen PoA yet, cries I want to see it! But it's not released here until the 10th. Waaahhh!


	13. The Transformation

**Year- 1971, 1st Year:**

**Remus' Rants: **

**_Quote of the Day: _**_"When you feel all alone, and the world has turned its back on you, give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart…"_

The day of my first full moon at Hogwarts had finally dawned upon me quicker than you could say 'Dragon, fizzle, puff'. Okay, that was a bit uh… random, but you get the idea, it came up very fast. Faster than I would have liked, (not that I would have liked it to come up at all, but as it stands, I don't have much choice in the matter)

I was dreading the time when twilight would come, when the moon would rise and the night would cut out all traces of the day before.

Even though I realized and took in what Professor Philomena had said to me just three nights ago, it didn't make the fast approaching full moon any less frightening. It didn't make the thought of my transformations any less terrifying.

I was sitting in Transfiguration, the last lesson of the day, thinking over this while we were trying to transfigure beetles into buttons.

So far, James and Sirius had been the only ones who had managed it; I had not succeeded because my thoughts were very much pre-occupied.

"Remus, what's wrong with you today?" Sirius asked, sitting back in his chair and gazing at me curiously.

"I… nothing, it's nothing, I just feel a bit sick, that's all, and I got to visit my… mother tonight," I said, trying to sound casual, but realized that my voice sounded somewhat forced.

"Why?" Peter asked curiously, after several failed attempts to change his beetle into a button.

"Because she's really sick," I lied.

"I hope she's better then," Peter said.

"Thanks," I replied. I felt bad lying to my friends like that, but I had to unless I wanted them to find out about me.

Peter was content with my answer, but Sirius, it seemed, was not, as he asked "What's wrong with her?"

But before I got the chance to answer there was a loud shriek from in front of me, and a fellow Gryffindor girl I recognized as Lily Evans was jumping around frantically running her hands through her hair.

"Get it out! Get it out! Heeeeeeeelllllpppp!!!" Lily screamed frantically, while her friends, Alexandra Randall, Alanna Capes and Lavinia Fletcher tried to help her.

"What happened?" I asked Sirius.

I looked at Sirius and James to find that they were both sniggering wildly. Sirius and James.

"James levitated a beetle onto her hair," Sirius sniggered beside me.

I shook my head but said nothing.

By now McGonagall had rushed over to Lily to see what all the commotion was about, Lily meanwhile was still screeching and moving frantically around.

"What is the matter Miss Evans?" McGonagall asked briskly.

"There's something crawling in my hair! Get it OUT!!" Lily screamed.

"Calm down Miss Evans! I will get it out for you," McGonagall tried to calm down the frantic Lily. Which was a pretty hard thing to do, as Lily was getting more hysterical by the minute.

"Calm down! And stay still!" McGonagall ordered. If there was anything that could make Lily calm down it would have to be McGonagall ordering her to. Instantly Lily tried to calm down.

And sure enough, there, crawling atop Lily Evans' head, was one of the beetles that we were meant to be transfiguring. McGonagall plucked it out and held it up.

"Who is missing their beetle?" McGonagall asked eyeing the class.

"It was _him_," Lavinia Fletcher said, swishing her blonde hair around and sticking her nose up at us. Her finger was pointing directly at James.

McGonagall turned to face us, "Where is your beetle Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked James angrily.

"It was here just a minute ago Professor, I swear, it must have flew away or something," James lied.

"The beetle could not fly Mr. Potter, as I put a anti-flying charm on them just this morning, and I assure you that charm would have not worn off," she said angrily. Wow. Now James was definitely in big trouble. McGonagall continued, "now where is your beetle?" she asked stringently, nostrils flaring - a sure sign of fury.

"I don't know, it must have crawled away," James lied.

"That's it! 10 points from Gryffindor!" All the Gryffindors groaned. "And detention for a week! I don't tolerate that behaviour in my class Mr. Potter, nor do I tolerate lying. Now get back on with your work, all of you!" McGonagall ordered angrily.

The class worked in silence for the rest of the lesson, and when the bell went to signal the end of class everyone was exceptionally glad to leave the classroom.

"Well what a great lesson that was," I commented sarcastically as we made our way up to the Gryffindor tower.

"Aw come on Remus, we were only having a bit of fun, I can't believe McGonagall gave me detention for _that_! She didn't even have any proof it was me anyway," James replied.

I didn't comment. James would never get the picture. James continued, "Oh well, it was all worth it," James chuckled.

"Yeah, you should have seen the look on that Evans girl's face when she felt a beetle crawling in her hair," Sirius said, starting to laugh again, causing James to start laughing, causing Peter to join in as well.

"Think it's funny do you?" A voice said icily from behind us.

We stopped walking and turned around. There, standing before us, was a fuming Lily Evans, she looked livid. Her three Gryffindor friends and a couple of Hufflepuff's that she became friends with later on were standing around her.

"Um, well, yes, it _was _kind of funny, now that I think about it," Sirius replied, still sniggering. I felt like hitting him for being so insensitive.

"How dare you! You are all such gits, thinking you're so good just because you can do good in class, you think you can do anything to anyone, you're just a bunch of immature snot-nosed toe rags!" Lily screeched before storming off. Her Gryffindor friends followed her and the Hufflepuff's just stood there.

"Jeez, it was only a bloody beetle, I mean, it's not like it was going to bite her or something," James said irritably, as we begun walking back up to the Gryffindor tower.

"That's not the point James," I said, teeth gritted, finally getting so frustrated that I had to say something.

"Well what is the point then Remus?" James snapped.

"Look, if you're going to talk to me like that then you can figure it out yourself," I replied, somewhat fed up with James and Sirius.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…" James stopped.  
  
"Just that what?" Peter asked.

"Just that, I've been having a bad day," James replied.

I snorted. James having a bad day? He didn't know what a bad day meant. _I _was the one who was having a bad day. And it was just about to get extremely worse.

"What the hell do you know about bad days James?! What, just because _someone _doesn't like you you're having a bad day?" I said heatedly.

Sirius and James looked at each other with a bewildered 'I-didn't-think-Remus-would-ever-do-that-look' on their faces. James didn't reply, but I could tell he so wanted to.

We didn't talk again until we arrived at our dormitory. Once we were all inside we put our school things away and after a while the tension was gone (only after Sirius did something immeasurably stupid) and we had started talking again.

I paced the room nervously, looking at my watch every few seconds. It was 4.45 in the afternoon, in just 15 minutes I had to go and meet Madam Pomfrey.

"Remus, what are you doing?" Sirius asked, watching as I paced around.

"Oh, me? Nothing, I…I've got to go and see my mum at 5 o'clock," I replied nervously.

"Oh," Peter said, "how are you getting there?"

"Oh, by, by Floo Powder," I made up on the spot.

I checked my watch again. 4.49.

"Stop pacing, will you," James said.

"Sorry," I replied, "I… just I'm a bit worried," I lied.

"Well, you're not going to help your mum by pacing around like an idiot," James said.

I sat down on the edge of my bed. But I couldn't keep still. I looked out the window. The sky was still blue. I checked my watch again. 4.50. I jiggled my feet. My hands were shaking.

"_What_ is wrong with you?" Sirius asked, looking at me intently.

"I _told _you, I'm worried about mum, she's really sick," I said.

"You've been pale and snappy all day, it looks like _you're _sick," Sirius replied.

"Yeah, well, mum's never been this sick before, I just, I just hope she's okay," I lied, feeling bad.

"So do we," James said, with a sharp look at Sirius that I wasn't meant to notice.

I checked my watch again. 4.52. I looked out the window. A pinkish colour had crept into the blue. I shivered.

"So, when are you getting back?" Peter asked, trying to make conversation.

"Oh, I don't know, later in the week sometime," I replied.

I stood up again and began to pace. I noticed James roll his eyes. I checked my watch. 4.55. Time to go I decided.

"Well, I've got to go," I announced.

"Aren't you taking anything?" Peter asked.

"Oh, no, I've got everything I need at my house," I replied, mentally slapping myself for not remembering to take anything so I would look a little less suspicious.

"Well, I hope your mum gets better then," James said.

"Thanks."

I pulled open the dormitory door.

"See you later then," Sirius said.

"Bye," I said as I walked through the door and pulled it shut behind me.

I let out a loud sigh of relief. At least now I wouldn't have to keep on lying to my friends, and I wouldn't be under their constant gaze.

I started my way down to the common room. The common room was full, as it was just before dinner. People were sitting in chairs playing exploding snap, or chess, or simply just sitting and talking or doing homework. Doing normal things.

At that moment I wished that I could join them, that I could be the one playing exploding snap, or the one in the corner reading, or the one laughing exuberantly with my friends. I wished that I could be any one of them, not having a care in the world except getting homework finished on time.

But I wasn't. I would not be able to have that. I was the one who turned into a monster, come the full moon.

I made my way solemnly over to the portrait hole; once I had arrived at it I opened it and climbed out into the corridor. I was in such a daze that I did not notice a voice talking until later.

"…I think that's a better idea." It was Madam Pomfrey.

"I'm-I'm sorry… what did you say again Sir, er-Miss?" I asked. Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes.

"I was saying that we should meet a bit earlier, it's getting dark early, say about fifteen minutes earlier, just to be on the safe side," Madam Pomfrey answered.

I nodded.

"Well come on, we've got to go."

I nodded again and Madam Pomfrey turned and made her way down the corridor. I followed her until we were out in the main Hogwarts grounds. The cool air hit my face and increased my state of unease. I looked up at the sky, it was quickly darkening; a purplish glaze came into blend with the blue and pink.

Any other day this sight would have looked beautiful, but today it only showed that it was getting closer to the rise of the full moon.

We walked silently across the darkening grounds. I slowed my pace and trailed along behind Pomfrey. I didn't want to go into that shack; I didn't want to be locked up and away like some domestic animal. I still felt my hands twitching, and a cold sweat was forming over my body, even though I had been through the transformations numerous times each time felt more draining than the last. I felt sick, like I was going to gag. I couldn't do this. I couldn't. But I had no choice. I stopped dead, the starlight hitting me and bathing me. It felt like I was going to heave.

Madam Pomfrey noticed my sudden stop, and turning around she said, "Hurry up Mr. Lupin! The moon's coming out any minute now! We're far too late!" she said as she rushed quickly towards the dark shape of the Whomping Willow. Surely enough when I looked up into the darkening sky again I could see the murky shape of the moon behind the clouds. I started to follow her again, staggering after her.

As we approached the Whomping Willow the thick tree whipped its creaking branches back and forth to prevent us from moving any further towards it. Madam Pomfrey hastily plucked a long stick from the ground and leaned towards a knot in the trunk. Suddenly a branch whipped down at the stick out of nowhere and with unbelievable force struck the stick and broke it into pieces.

Madam Pomfrey cried out in frustration, and frantically searched for another stick. Finally she found one, leaning towards the knot on the trunk she pushed the knot and instantaneously the Willow froze, not a leaf, nor twig shook.

"Quickly Lupin, get inside that hole in the trunk!" Pomfrey ordered looking up at sky. I obeyed and stumbled towards the hole quickly, slithering down into it I found myself immersed in total darkness, I felt myself slide down an earthy slope and found myself at the bottom of a very low seeming tunnel. The darkness felt slightly calming. I heard Madam Pomfrey slide into the hole after me, once at the bottom of the slope she lit up her wand and I found myself looking at a very low tunnel.

"Hurry along Lupin! I'll leave you here, once you get to the end of the tunnel go into the shack, someone will be there to pick you up in the morning," Madam Pomfrey said quickly, then she ran back up the slope and climbed out of the tunnel.

I was totally alone. I set off, bent-backed, at a stumbling run through the dark tunnel. After what seemed like hours the tunnel began to rise and twist and I found myself staggering into a dimly lit room. I looked around, the room was dusty and the windows were half or totally boarded up.

I swayed on the spot, sickness overcame me, and I slid down onto the dusty floor. I noticed a small patch of silvery light glimmering on the dark floor. It was moonlight. Suddenly the patch of light began to grow. I stared at it, wide-eyed. In what seemed like two seconds the light was as big as a large plate, I moved away from the light to a dark corner in the room.

I pulled my legs up to my chest, feeling helpless. The feeling in my stomach became increasingly worse and my robes were soaked with a cold sweat.

I looked back over to the patch of light and saw that it had slowly gotten bigger; I crunched up, unable to get away from this deadly light. Suddenly the light was hitting me, I felt it bathing my body and shining on my face.

Rapidly a great surging pain ripped through my body, a pain unlike anything I had ever experienced in my previous transformations. It tore through my body and it felt like a great hand was clenching, squeezing, and slowly crushing the bones inside of my body. I screamed. I howled. I went mad with excruciating pain. I felt my nails lengthen into claws; my face was lengthening, and my shoulders were hunching. I felt hair growing out of my skin and covering me with thick fur. The pain was unbearable, and when it reached that moment of completeness I felt my mind and conscious slowly slip away.

I felt the wolf take me, it snarled and reared, and snapped its long jaws. The wolf had come. And all I knew was black.

7 7 7

**Author's Note: **Okay, so I lied, I separated the chapter again! Sorry! But I love cliff-hangers and I couldn't help it! And I still haven't seen PoA, (again, I have no idea what that has to do with anything). Anyway, the next chapter will be up soon (I hope). As to the quote of the day it's from "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden, and I think it fits for Remus. Okay, so all my quotes are turning into being song lyrics! But I can't find any others that fit for Remus. Anyone have any?

**Ronda-Silverpaw: **That's great! I'm glad your comp is better, glad I could be of service :P

**BlackMistress: **Thanks for reviewing! Peter's not so bad, well the Hogwarts-age Peter I think, but anything after Hogwarts I hate him! I live in Australia, and PoA is out now but I haven't had a chance to see it yet. L, I just hope it's good, but from what I've heard they left a fair bit out. L . Anyway, glad you like Philomena and astronomy!

**Goldilocks31890- **Thankies! Yes I have PoA problems. L. Not fair! I wanna watch it. Ahem, anyway, I'm glad you liked the part about Sirius not wanting to share, he's so funny. Yeah, seeker is Harry's thing, it would be weird, well not weird, but you know, if James was seeker as well. But who knows what he actually is?

**Padfoot-911- **Thankyou very very very much! I'm glad you liked it! Yes Sirius is too stubborn for his own good- silly boy, hehe. I will keep it up, don't worry. I'll at least try anyway!

**Ruby2- **Thanks for the offer and your review! I'll e-mail you!

**Jbanana- **I hope to see it soon as well, hopefully I'll get the chance soon!

**Rappy28- **Thankyou very very much! I'm glad you like the story and hope you'll keep on reading! I hope you liked this chapter!

**This Parrot has ceased to be- **Hi, that's okay. I hope I updated quick enough for you! ;). I live in Australia, so it's out now but I still haven't seen it L.

**Lily Evans0- **Thankyou very very much! I'm glad you like it! I hope he doesn't die either! J.K just can't kill him as well! Not two of my most favouritest characters! If she did that I'd stop reading, oh wait, there wouldn't be anything left to read anyway. Ahem. Anyway, thanks again!

**Janet Lily- **Thanks a lot! I'm really glad you like it. Keep reading!

**Random Beatles Fan- **Oh really? I've heard that as well, but I guess movies and books are two completely dif. things, and the movies can never compare to the books anyway, IMO. I'm glad my story amuses you! Glad you like it!

**Snuffles2984- **Hi! That's okay, at least you had plenty to read then, I'm glad you are still reading and liking the story! Keep reading!

**Elvengirl9- **Wow! Thanks so much, your review really made my day a whole lot better. I'm so glad you liked my story. I went to check out yours (as you prob. already know by now! And I think they're great, I left reviews for you J)

Yes I think Peter would have to be like a fellow brother to them otherwise they wouldn't have been his friend and all that, I think he was too weak to stand up against Voldemort and gave in. I'm glad you liked Remus' POV- everyone loves a bit of Remus, and the explanations and interruptions-they were fun. Your question was not at all rude! I like reading other peoples MWPP stories, (well they're really the only ones I'm reading at the moment anyway). That's okay (about me reviewing), anytime! Oh, Dobby's Diary and my other story are pretty uh, crazy (to say the least), and I haven't updated it in ages.

Thankyou very much for the lovely compliment and your great review! J

**Lv3nd3r-l3r0wN**- (Do you mind if I just write your name Lavender-Brown instead? I'm too slow to write it the way you do, lol) Thankyou very much! I'm very glad you like it! I hope this was quick enough for you! Glad you like the way I portrayed Remus. Thanks again! 

**Visualpurple- **I agree! Yeah I know she updated it, I def. have her on author alert! Great is good! I like the word great, don't worry, I always say great for lack of a better word, lol. Yeah I know about the moustache thing, I've seen some pics, and book-Remus def. does not have a moustache! Gah! I hate it when people wreck my favourite characters, esp. (man I'm getting lazy!) Sirius and Remus! My most favouritest characters in the world! Oh and I hated the way James and Lily were in the 1st movie, (well I guess Lily wasn't so bad) but James looked too old! They were in their 20's when they had Harry! Gah! Ahem. I'll stop complaining now. At least they tried.

****


	14. Dreams

**Year- 1971, 1st Year**

**Remus Rants: **

**_Thought of the Day: _**_Do dreams **really** have hidden meanings? Are they some kind of subconscious message?- okay, so it's not a quote, but a thought that has been nagging at me for a while. _

I looked around and saw huge trees with moss covered trunks towering above me, their glossy leaves glinted in the warm sunlight. I looked up through the canopy of trees to see bright sunlight shining down onto the forest floor in speckled patterns.

The smell of fresh pine needles met my nose and I breathed it in and as it filled my lungs, I felt a sudden kind of freedom.

Suddenly I recognized my surroundings. I was in my favourite forest. The forest I had grown up in as a young boy. The forest that I had loved so much to run around in and play in. The forest that made me feel ultimate freedom. And also the forest in which I had felt the most pain; in which I had received my fatal bite. And the forest in which my dreams had been shattered.

But the familiar forest wasn't dark or evil now, there were no monsters lurking just out of sight in between the trees. The forest was filled with a warm homely glow and a pleasant scent. And in the forest I felt at home and comfortable. I felt freedom and tranquility.

Suddenly the scene around me changed… dissolved. The warm tranquility of the forest was slipping away like a transient memory and in its place was a golden ball of light. It appeared right in front of me and I found myself reaching for it, the orb was made up of pure sunlight and glowed as bright as the sun on a summer's day. I stretched my hand out towards that shining orb but it was just irritably out of reach. I didn't quite know why I wanted this golden ball of light so much, why I was reaching for it, but my whole willpower was bent on at least touching it.

Just a bit further… a bit further and I would have it. I would have the light forever if only I could stretch a bit further. Suddenly the orb moved just out of my reach, and whenever I tried to grasp it, it moved again…

Somewhere distantly I heard a voice call my name, 'Lupin', 'Lupin' it called softly, distantly, somewhat imploringly. Was that my name? 'Lupin' it called again. No, go away. I do not want to. I want the light. The orb of golden light. Suddenly it seemed that I would have it, this bright sunshiny orb, I pushed out my hand a little further and finally, with the point of my index finger, I finally touched it. All of a sudden the light vanished, simply disintegrated, leaving in its place a complete and utter darkness.

"_Noooooo_!" I screamed desperately. Or at least that's what I was trying to say – I don't know if it came out quite the same though.

"Lupin!" this time I heard the voice more clearly, I was aware that it was straight above me. I blearily opened my eyes, everything was fuzzy but I could make out two faces looking down at me. I closed them again, not wanting to look at them. If only I could have gotten that light.

"Lupin," one of the voices said, this time more softly. It was a comforting voice. I forced myself to open my eyes again and waited for everything to become clearer; once they did I saw the face of a concerned Albus Dumbledore looking down at me. Madam Pomfrey was there also.

I struggled to keep my eyes open. I twisted my head around, and this small action sent surges of pain through my body, I almost cried out. I noticed the dim interior of the shack. I was still in the shack.

I looked up at Dumbledore and Pomfrey blurrily. I could make out Dumbledore talking to me comfortingly but I could not understand nor process anything he was saying. Madam Pomfrey was talking in an exasperated tone. It was like my brain was temporarily shut down, and I could not connect what people were saying to form understandable speech. It was like my mind was acting (or, more fittingly, not acting) against my will, and I couldn't control anything.

It was like I was still in a dream world. But it was nothing like the dream I had been having just minutes before, it was more like a nightmare. And that's what reality is sometimes, isn't it? Like a nightmare with no escape and only dreams to comfort you. This reality that I had just woken up to was painful, cold and disconcerting.

I struggled to understand what Dumbledore was saying but the more I tried, the more his speech slipped away from me and the more I felt my mind slip away. I could feel my brain settling into another sleep and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

The next time I opened my eyes a bright sunlight shone into them and I found that I was in the Hospital Wing; the bright sunlight bathed the Hospital Wing in a warm yellow glow. I looked down at my body and noticed that someone had put pyjamas on me. I tried to move but as soon as I did I felt a terrible pain surge through my limbs.

"You're awake," a voice said (stating the obvious), it was Madam Pomfrey; she had bustled over to me and started to tend to my wounds.

"Drink this," she ordered as she poured a hot liquid down my throat. The liquid had an instantaneous effect, the surging pain in my body dulled a bit and I found that I was able to move a little more.

"Eat this," she ordered again as she shoved pieces of chocolate into my mouth. I chewed it unwillingly. Suddenly I felt a warm feeling surge through me to the tips of my toes, perhaps this chocolate wasn't so bad after all, I thought as Pomfrey shoved more into my mouth. I struggled to keep it all in my mouth and not end up with it all over the bed.

"Now get some more rest, I'll check in again later," Pomfrey said, then made her way into her office. I couldn't exactly reply at present, seeing as my mouth was stuffed full of chocolate.

I laid back onto the bed and closed my eyes, the familiar feeling of sleep was beginning to wash over me; suddenly I heard hushed voices talking inside the office, recognizing the voice of Dumbledore, McGonagall and Pomfrey I sat up again and strained to hear what they were talking about.

"…was a bad transformation, can't we do anything more for him?" Came the voice of McGonagall.

"Unfortunately not Minerva, we've done all we can already," Dumbledore said.

"I feel so sorry for the poor boy, he's only eleven." Came Pomfrey's voice.

"We all do Poppy, but there is nothing more we can do than what we've already done, hopefully his transformations will get better, after all this is only his first one at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said.

"Hopefully," McGonagall said. They all seemed to go quiet at that point.

"Well, I better get back to class, no doubt Black and Potter are causing a stir," McGonagall said suddenly, "I probably shouldn't have left Sir Nick in charge," she said.

This seemed to indicate that the conversation between the three had ended; I heard a rustling sound and quickly lay back in my bed. The sound of footsteps greeted my ears. I opened my eyes and standing in front of me was Dumbledore himself.

"Hello Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore smiled warmly. I smiled back. "I trust you heard our conversation?" he asked. I stared guiltily at him.

"That's quite all right, though next time I'd recommend you get some rest," Dumbledore said.

"Headmaster, can I ask you something?" I asked suddenly.

"I believe you just did, but yes, go on," Dumbledore said, sitting down in a chair beside my bed.

"Do dreams have a meaning?" I asked, thinking about the golden orb of light and the familiar forest.

"Why, yes, all dreams have some kind of a meaning to an extent Remus, why just last night I had a dream about dirty socks hitting me in the face and this morning I woke up to find that my socks were yelling at me to wash them," he chuckled, then continued, "but yes, I do believe that all dreams have some deeper meaning than we can even begin to comprehend," he said looking at me, "is there anything you'd like to tell me Remus?" Dumbledore asked, his light sky blue eyes boring into mine.

I thought about the dream I had had earlier in the shack. The glowing orb of light, the orb that I could have so nearly grasped in my own hand. The orb that, once touched, had disintegrated and left in its place a complete darkness. Then I decided against it. It was my dream, and mine alone, I decided that I did not want to share it, not even with Dumbledore, "No Professor, I was just wondering," I answered slowly.

"Well get some rest then," Dumbledore said, standing up, "I recommend that you stay in the Hospital Wing for a couple of days," Dumbledore said and with that he turned and walked out of the Hospital Wing.

I lay back down in my bed and closed my eyes and thought about the glowing orb of light. Still thinking about it, I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**7 7 7**

**Author's Note:** Well there it is, Remus' first transformation at Hogwarts. I hope you liked it! Sorry this chapter was pretty short! And no, I haven't seen PoA yet. I'm slow okay. But soon I will. Hopefully. 

**Jedi Solo- **Wow! Thankyou very very very muchly! I mean it! Well I don't know if I'm going to write about after school, I'm just concentrating on their school years at the moment and it'll prob. end after their 7th year, but there may be a sequel, I really don't know. It's a lot of work though! I will keep writing! And I checked out your story and reviewed, it's pretty good, you should def. keep writing! Thank you so much once again!

**Ronda-Silverpaw- **Lol, that can't be good, if it's not one thing it's another eh? Lol. Well I hope you recover from your writer's block soon! Glad you liked the chapter!

**Jbanana- **Yes, poor Remus, I didn't want to do it to him but I had to. Hope this was quick enough!

**Gevaudan- **Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! Please keep reading!

**Wondiful Blondiful- **Wow! Thankyou very very much! I really do appreciate it!

**Marsexplorer- **I feel sorry for Remus as well- there's so much that he has to go through. Thankyou very much!  
  
**Black Mistress- **Hehe, sorry about that, but I couldn't resist the cliffhanger staring me in the face! Hehe. You've seen PoA twice? :P , no fair! Just kidding! I just hope its not too bad. I wish they would invent something that actually cures Lycanthropy for Remus. That would have been good. I sure hope she doesn't kill Remus off either, I love him too much for that to happen! And she will have LOT of people that will hate it if he dies- that's for sure.

**Snickerdoodle131515- **I can't imagine how painful it would be either, poor Remus. I wish he didn't have to go through so much, but c'est la vie. (or however you write it).

Thankyou very very much!

**Janet Lily- **Lol, sorry I took so long! (Was it that long? I don't think it was, hehe) Glad you're still liking it!

**This Parrot has ceased to be- **Yeah I know about the Remus with a moustache thing, he _does not_ have a moustache! It just doesn't look right for Remus. L Glad you liked the chapter, _"So do we," James said, with a sharp look at Sirius that I wasn't meant to notice.'_- that was just James telling Sirius to shut his mouth! Because James thought Sirius was being too insensitive.

**Graceful Lily- **Thanks very much! I'm glad that you like it, MPP are my favourite characters as well (well, that's pretty obvious anyway, hehe). And I'm glad you like the way I show all of MWPP's points of views. Thanks!

**Leena-Sama- **That's all right. I will keep writing, don't worry. I'm glad you like it!

**Hannanora-Potter- **Hi! Lol, the dragon, fizzle, puff bit was pretty uh- random. Well, that question has been bugging me for a long time as well, I mean if only getting hit by moonlight meant that that was the only way for Remus to transform then you would think that you could just close the curtains (lol, or the windowless room, or underground) and they wouldn't transform. I think someone asked J.K that in a chat thing, but I can't find it! Right I'm on a mission to find the question. Hang on… I found it…

_Can you explain how Lupin turns into a werewolf, since he didn't turn in the Shrieking Shack in Prisoner of Azkaban, but instead he turned only when the full moonlight hit him outside the tunnel? If he only turned into a wolf in the moonlight, why didn't he just stay inside? Did it have to do with the potion? Or was the moon not up yet?  
  
J.K: The moon wasn't up when he entered the Shrieking Shack._

So that means that as soon as the moon comes up (whether the moonlight hits Remus or not) Remus will transform. I think. It's pretty confusing. The scene in PoA (the movie-which I haven't seen yet!) where Remus goes to the shack and the moon is up is most likely incorrect, I mean, it does happen (the whole James is seeker thing). So the moon probably wasn't meant to be up yet when Remus went to the shack. Okay, I just totally contradicted myself, I just proved myself wrong! D'oh. Because the moon starts to rise when Remus runs through the tunnel towards the shack, so he should have been transforming then. Well, I think it was better to have Remus transforming when the moonlight hit him. (Sorry if you got bored the second I wrote 'transform' ! Lol. I think I'm rambling now. Well I _know _I'm rambling!) So in shorter terms, Remus will transform as soon as the moon rises whether the moonlight hits him directly or not. Probably. Heh.

**Visualpurple- **I hate that too. That's why I don't really read the 1st or 2nd books . I'm glad you like the way I portray the characters. Yay! Well I'm from Australia actually.

**Koriaena- **Yeah Sirius does some stupid stuff, I think it's in his nature to, sometimes to break the ice and sometimes on impulse, sometimes he probably doesn't even notice he's being stupid. But he's not stupid as in illiterate! He's very smart in that way, but does stupid things sometimes. Glad you like the fic!


	15. A Friendship Formed

**Year: 1971, 1st Year.**

**Peter's Prattle: **

**_Quote of the Day: _**_Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes_

It was a Wednesday morning and the students had gathered in the Great Hall to have their breakfast. Remus had come back to school from visiting his sick mother early that morning, and he did not look well at all. He had heavy bags under his eyes, and his skin was paler than usual, he also seemed distant and not just from us, but from everyone around him. He seemed oblivious to everything and walked around as if in a dream. I didn't make much of it though because Remus obviously didn't want to talk about it. All he said was that his mother was getting better and that she would be okay soon.

"What have we got first?" Sirius asked us over the loud cluttering of the daily owls.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts," I replied excitedly.

"Cool, I hope this week Bones will let us do something exciting. He's been teaching stuff that half the class knows already," Sirius said.

"That's mainly for the muggle borns," James replied.

"I learnt some new stuff," Remus said unexpectedly, he still seemed in a daze. He had been acting weird all morning, and I noticed that he had scratches and scars along his body, which he hastened to cover up when he saw me looking at them. None of us replied, because Remus had said few words to us the whole morning and because we didn't know what to say. I went back to eating my breakfast as an uncomfortable silence overcame us.

Before I had a chance to finish eating however, the indicator went for the first class and the occupants of the Great Hall started moving off to their classes.

"Remus you look a little pale, are you all right?" James asked Remus as we made our way up to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"What? Oh, I'm fine… just, you know, needed a bit of food," Remus replied distantly.

None of us replied however, and we kept on walking up to our classroom.

When we got to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom Professor Bones was already there sitting at his desk scribbling down some notes on parchment. He looked up at us upon our arrival and smiled.

James, Sirius, Remus and I took a seat close to the front - this was becoming somewhat of a habit of ours, because Bones' classes were very good.

Professor Bones was a good teacher; he was kind to us and made the classes exciting, though he did seem a little strange, (but what Hogwarts Professor isn't a little strange anyway?! I think they're all strange in their own way, some are just plain weird). In the first week of school we found that if you asked him about, say, muggle items, then he could spend nearly the whole lesson going on about them, it was quite amusing, and very handy if one did not feel like doing work at the time. But as it was, the class was quite eager to actually do the Defence Against the Dark Arts work because we found it exciting, especially from what Professor Bones had told us about it, and what he planned for us to learn.

"What are we doing today Professor?" James asked eagerly.

Professor Bones stopped writing and packed his quill and parchment into his desk drawer, "I think we'll start to learn a couple of basic curses and counter-curses, we'll start with the disarming spell," Professor Bones replied, standing up.

James and Sirius looked excited at this reply.

"Mr. Lupin, are you all right, you look a bit pale," Professor Bones asked, looking at Remus concernedly. This also seemed a bit weird, but it looked also for a flitter of a moment as if Professor Bones looked at him knowingly and sympathetically. Maybe Professor Bones knew about Remus' sick mother. A likely explanation, because the staff probably would have known that Remus had been visiting his sick mother.

"Yes Professor, I'm fine… thanks," Remus replied. Professor Bones nodded. I noticed Sirius and James exchange looks.

When all the students had arrived, Professor Bones began to address the class.

 "Good morning class," Professor Bones said as the class sat down, "today we'll be learning the disarming spell. For the next couple of weeks we'll be learning basic curses and counter-curses, then we'll move on to basic creatures," an excited murmur went around the room at this, "now, if you'd like to follow me please," Professor Bones said as he made his way out of the classroom door.

The class followed excitedly.

"I wonder where we're going," James wondered.

Professor Bones led us along the empty corridors and through the castle. Finally we came outside and into the sunshine. Professor Bones stopped when we arrived at a large patch of green grass.

"Seeing as it's such a lovely day I decided that we could do our disarming spells out in the sunshine," Professor Bones said, the class seemed to like the idea, "and it also means that the classroom won't be in disorder because of stray books flying around from misguided spells." Professor Bones smiled.

"Now, form into pairs please," Professor Bones addressed the class.

The class went about forming into pairs, Sirius and James paired up, they seemed to be becoming fast friends, and could always be found doing things together. Remus and I paired together.

While the class formed pairs, Professor Bones told us about the disarming spell, "the disarming spell is handy for disarming your opponent or any witch or wizard whom can be a danger to you, it is only a simple spell but shouldn't be underestimated as wizards have come of better in duels simply by the disarming of his or her opponent," Professor Bones said as he walked up and down the lawn.

"Right then, the incantation for the disarming spell is 'Expelliarmus', now I want you to practice the incantation without your wands first on the count of three… 1…2…3."

The class repeated the incantation together; suddenly a couple of wands flew out of people's robe pockets. Including mine.

"Ah, seems like there are some potentially powerful wizards among you," Professor Bones said, looking at the class, "Some wizards can perform magic without their wands, or with wands close by. Some of you have just shown that. Of course, witches and wizards need a way to channel their magic and this is achieved by using wands," Professor Bones said, "Now, wands out everyone, if you haven't got them out already," Professor Bones instructed,  "I want you to practice the disarming spell with your partner, remember, the incantation is 'Expelliarmus', start practicing," Professor Bones instructed.

We started to practice the disarming spell, and, almost instantly, before I had the chance to say the incantation, my wand flew out of my hands and landed neatly in Remus Lupin's palm. For someone so seemingly sick he sure was fine to perform magic.

"Very good Mr. Lupin, I see you're a fast learner," Professor Bones, whom had been walking around and inspecting the pairs separately, smiled down at Remus, "Now you have a try Mr. Pettigrew," Professor Bones said, returning my wand to me.

Almost instantly I felt nervous, I didn't think I could do the spell anyway, but having a teacher standing near me and waiting for me do it made me nervous. I went uneasy in situations like this.

I pointed my wand at Remus, "Expelliamius!"Wrong incantation. "Um, er, Expilliarmus!" Damn, wrong one again! I was flustered; I couldn't remember the incantation, "Expelliamos!" I tried again, it was wrong again, and this time Remus' hair stood up on end, (which would have been funny if I hadn't been the cause of it) "Oops," I said with an apologetic look at Remus. Remus just smiled.

"Oooh look what that Pettigrew boy did to Lupin's hair," I heard a voice say quietly, and the person giggled, others joined in. I looked over at the person who had said it, it had been Lavinia Fletcher, a blonde haired girl in Gryffindor, she was laughing with one of her friends, Alanna Capes - the bossy, strange, loud girl in our house. I felt my cheeks redden.

"The incantation is Expelliarmus," Professor Bones said, "try to remember it for next time," he added kindly before moving on to Sirius and James, both of whom were not only disarming each other but also everyone else, they each had about four wands in their hand and a bunch of angry people closing in on them. Remus looked disapprovingly at Sirius and James.

"I can't do it!" I said helplessly once Bones was out of earshot and the snooty girls had gone back to practicing their spells.

"Yes you can Peter, you just have to remember the incantation, it's Expelliarmus, if you got that right you could do it, now try again," Remus said, as he smoothed his hair back down (which didn't work very well).

I readied my wand again, "Expelliarmus!" I said, this time Remus' hair did not stand on end, but his wand did not fly out of his hand either, it merely wobbled a bit in his grip.

"I _can't_ do it!" I said again.

"Listen Peter, if you keep saying you can't then you won't be able to, there's no such thing as can't, it'll just take a bit of practise, now try again," Remus said.

"Expelliarmus!" I cried out, Remus' wand jumped, but other than that it did not come zooming towards me, getting frustrated, I tried again, "Expelliarmus!" still nothing, "Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus! _Expelliarmus_!" I cried out loudly, getting frustrated, on the last 'Expelliarmus' Remus' robes caught fire.

"Oh, oh, oh," I said as Professor Bones ran back over to us and said a spell to put it out. The class was now laughing loudly. I wished they'd stop. I wished that the ground swallowed me so that I could avoid the humiliation.

"Quiet!" Professor Bones yelled loudly, looking almost angry. Instantly the class stopped laughing, "you never, I repeat, _never_ laugh at a class mate because they have not grasped a spell as quickly as you have, it is belittling, and I will not allow it in my class, do I make myself clear?" Professor Bones asked.

"Yes Professor Bones," the class said in unison.

I felt humiliated, and Professor Bones little speech only made me feel worse.

Finally, to my relief, the signal went for the end of class, and the students moved off the grounds and made their way up to the castle.

"Great job on setting Remus' robes on fire Peter!" Sirius chortled. James laughed as well, Remus, however, threw them both a dirty look. During the first lesson Remus seemed to regain his former manner, but he was still different to what he was usually like. I felt myself going red once again.

"Just because Peter can't do the spell yet, it doesn't mean you have to rub it in his face!" Remus said coolly.

"Hey, Remus, cool it mate, I was only joking," Sirius said.

"Yeah, well, not all jokes are funny you know," Remus replied, somewhat frostily.

Neither Sirius nor James replied, they both exchanged glances and we kept on walking back to the castle.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully, Remus and Sirius didn't talk to each other much, I don't think Sirius cared much, he was too busy with James, but I could tell that Remus was still irritated with Sirius for laughing at me earlier.

"Remus…" I said, looking over at the small, pale boy sitting on his bed reading. It was after dinner and Remus and I had already went to our dormitory, I went because I wanted to avoid my classmates, perhaps because they'd laugh at me, or say something similar to what Sirius said, and Remus went because he said he wanted to read and he couldn't concentrate in the Common Room. Sirius and James were still downstairs.

Remus looked up from his book, "Yes?" he asked.

"What was wrong with you this morning?" I asked a little hesitantly.

Remus' face contorted for a fleeting moment and I noticed a mixture of fear and nervousness in his features, but he was back to normal again almost as instantly as he had changed.

"I was just a little tired that's all, I've been sitting up all night for the past few days at mum's bedside because she was so sick," Remus answered. So that explained everything. Remus had been sitting up for his mother and taking care of her for the past few nights. That's why he was so tired and had bags under his eyes, and looked paler than normal and looked like he hadn't eaten anything in days. He was too worried about his mother to care for himself. I could only imagine what that would be like. He must care for her a lot, I thought as I looked over at the tired boy opposite me. I wondered why he didn't mention his father though; surely his father would have looked after his mother? But I decided not to ask, as I had already asked personal questions of him.

I didn't reply for a while, then… "What do you think of Sirius Black?" I asked, changing the subject.

Remus didn't reply for a long while.

"Well… I think he's… nice enough," Remus replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, he can be very inconsiderate, he's got a lot to learn, that's all, he comes from one of those families where everything is expected of him, and I think that's why he is like he is, and he acts that way because of his family," Remus replied.

"So he takes after his family?" I asked.

"Yes and no, he probably has traits of his family, you can't help that no matter how hard you try, but he also acts the way he does because his family led him to that, I think, well that's what I think anyway," Remus explained. I was amazed at how much Remus knew about other people's personalities.

"Oh," I replied. Remus had a very good insight into Sirius Black's personality. And when I got to know Remus more, I found that he was very observant and knowledgeable of other people's personalities.

"So why were you hard on him earlier?" I asked.

Remus didn't reply, until, "Because I don't like it when people belittle others for their own amusement," he said simply.

"Oh," I replied, "…So what is your family like?" I asked, attempting to get to know this strange and intuitive boy better. Little did I know at the time however, that understanding the character of Remus Lupin was like the peeling away of the layers of an onion in one piece, very complicated indeed.

"Well, they're pretty good, they've always been looking after me, sometimes though, they can get a bit overprotective," Remus said smiling - seeming to reminisce about his family life. He seemed, like me, to miss his family somewhat since coming to Hogwarts. Sure Hogwarts was unlike anything I've ever experienced before but I missed the kind of warmly comfort that my home life offered. I missed my talkative and humble father, and my mother, who would go about her work and always listen when my father went on one of his rants. I missed being together with my family.

"What about your family? What are they like?" Remus asked.

"They're nice as well, I sort of miss them," I replied.

"Yeah, I miss mine as well, I'm an only child, what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Remus asked.

"No-well, not yet, I will soon though!" I replied excitedly, "Mum's pregnant! She just found out this month, they sent me a letter about it a couple of days ago, I'm excited, this will be my first new brother or sister," I replied excitedly.

"Really?" Remus smiled, "that's great, I've always wanted a brother or sister, I think it'd be great," Remus replied.

"Yeah, me too, I can't wait," I replied.

Remus and I kept on talking about family, our impressions of Hogwarts, Quidditch and lots of other stuff through the night, until James and Sirius joined us, then we went to bed.

I had found a good friend in Remus Lupin, and many years after that, we had become good friends and I had confided in Remus things that I had never told anyone. And sometimes, at night- we would talk for long moments just about life in general.

**Author's Notes:**

**Spoilers for PoA**

_Warning, Long Rambling ahead Thoughts on PoA: _Well I finally got my behind down to the cinemas and watched PoA, (about a month after its been out!!) And well… I thought it was good… as a movie that is, but as a movie based on my favouritest book, it didn't cut it (-As _Random Beatles Fan_ said). Don't get me wrong, I thought it was good and everything, but they changed and left out too much for my liking. And the werewolf- what's with that?! I mean really, it looked more like an alien than a werewolf, with its hugely long legs etc, and since when do werewolves walk on two legs?! What did I miss? And what's the go with the change in scenery/settings? Why couldn't they just keep it the same settings as the previous two? Also the Shrieking Shack scene was much too quick and short for my liking, everything happened too fast in it, Lupin didn't explain anything. And Sirius, Gary Oldman acted brilliantly, but it just wasn't my Sirius, or, the way I saw Sirius, though the comment about James suggesting Sirius make the dog change permanent was something Sirius would say, I'm glad he said that. Neither was Remus, he wasn't the way I see Remus, my Remus. They're both (Thewlis and Oldman) are great actors, but they just weren't how I see Remus and Sirius. But I guess you can't please everyone. It would probably be very hard actually to please me. Padfoot was good, except he should have been bigger in my mind.

Oh, and at the start was that picture supposed to be of Lily and James?! Because it definitely did not look like them at all, no no no, they got it all wrong! Uh. Anyhoo. Please don't think I just complain about everything! (heh) but this IS my favourite book we're talking about here, if it was any of the other books I wouldn't have minded as much (well actually, I probably would have) it's the book where we first get to know Sirius and Remus, and we get to know more about James etc.

On the plus side, it was funny ("You tell those spiders Ron!" Hehe), I liked Trelawnley, very funny, and creepy when she made a real prediction. Er. And that's all I have to say. I could say much more, but you'd get bored or throw tomatoes at me (or both). In fact, you probably have already tried that.

Ducks from the rotten tomatoes

Er, I'll just reply to the reviews now. Oh, one more thing, I want to thank you all so much! Readers and reviewers, it means so much to me that you all review and I love each and every review, so **thank you** so much!

**This Parrot has ceased to be- **Sorry about the shortness! Heh. Answer of the day: the orb was a topic of interest for me, but it does have some significance/ symbolism in it, you can try to guess, it's not too hard to, it represents something, (to Remus, in his subconscious). It will be explained in a later chapter, when, I'm not sure, but I will fit it in somewhere.

**Kady Rilla Wholly- **Thanks, glad you liked it, well the first part, about the forest, is just him longing for his old life back I guess, longing to go in the forest before he was bitten, longing for things to be easy again and him not being bitten. The second part, the orb represents something, it's easy to guess, but there'll be more about that later.

**Gevaudan- **Wow, thanks! Glad I could help with your sanity in some small way! (I don't know how I can help people with their sanity, usually I help people with their_ insanity_- i.e, make them go insane! Heh) Glad you're still enjoying it!

**Janet Lily- **Yeah, it was a bit short, sorry about that!

**Ronda-Silverpaw- **Glad you liked the chappy!

**MutantJediBauer- **Thank you very much! Glad you liked the characterization of the characters (heh) Glad you liked the bits beside the quotes about the teachers! I'm glad you like the story! Thanks again!

**Koraena- **Yes it is possible to be very smart and have no common sense, I think Sirius is sometimes very much like that.

**Molly22- **Thankyou very much! I miss Sirius as well! But he shall live forever in fanfiction!             Just think of it like that. I'm glad you like the fic. Thanks very much, I'm glad you loved those parts! Keep reading!

**Steph- **Thankyou, glad you like it! Well about the forest thing, I think that's just how most people see it; I don't think it's in the book. I think its because he was bitten by a werewolf and people tend to place them on the outskirts of a forest because the werewolf would have been around a forest somewhere.

**Raye Caouette- **Thankyou very very muchly! I'm glad you like it! Keep reading! Thanks again, I appreciate it!

**Padfoot's Mate- **Why thankyou. Don't worry about not reading my notes, I wouldn't blame you I tend to get boring after a while, hehe. I had a look at the story, and I think I'll have to learn a bit more German to read that story! (I'm a bit hopeless at the moment) thanks for offering to help make me understand it but you'd be translating a lot, because to be honest I could understand very little of that! But when I learn a lot more German I'll be reading that story!

Well, I'm on both sides about the movie, I mean, like you, my fave scenes are now ruined. I'm glad you liked the way I described the transformation. Thanks for reviewing!

**Black-Mistress- **That actually really was a short chapter, you didn't read too fast. Thankyou (about Dumbledore). If J.K did kill Remus well I don't know what I'd do, it's too bad to imagine, Remus isn't going to die as well!

I think there was divination when MWPP were in Hogwarts, I think that they had all the same subjects as in Harrys time, like the subjects never change since Founders time but the teachers, of course, would. I will take a look at the one shot when I have some time.

**Tapaidh Sidh- **Thank you very very much! I'm glad you have been reading, and glad that you like it, glad you liked the characterization. Thank you very much for reading. I really appreciate it that you've commented!

**Mars-explorer- **Lol, yes he's having weird dreams. But he'll be okay.

**Rappy28- **That's okay for not reviewing the previous chapter. Well Thewlis was okay as Remus, but not how I see Remus. Glad you liked the two chapters. Keep reading.

**Visualpurple- **Well actually no, it's not hot here, in fact its cold! Its winter here, that's why. Glad you like the story! You should post your H.P story.

**Beansie- **Wow I am proud that you stuck reading the story for that long! Wow, thank you very much! I really do appreciate it, that you could keep on reading for that long. J. I don't mind how long your reviews are, any length is fine! I'm very glad that you like the story!

**Goldilocks31890- ** Thanks muchly for your comments, don't worry about not reviewing the last chappy, I'm just glad you reviewed!

Well I agree with you on PoA, esp. about the transformation, what was with that?! Grr. I didn't expect Sirius Remus to be drop dead gorgeous but they looked very different to how I pictured them, as well as acted different. Yes the wolf was very very very out of whack. Just, well, dare I say it- stupid really. I really didn't like it, couldn't believe how they did it. O.O

**Gretchen- **Accepts cookies Thanks SO much! It really means a lot to me! Thank you! Mmm, cookies… hehe.

**Rondawg- **Thanks very much! Glad you like it. Sorry about the shortness of the chapters, but I had to cut them down a bit, ( there was a good cliffhanger in there!) Very glad you like it!

**Hpfinatic- **Hum. He is a CHASER, J.K said so, until she says otherwise her word goes.

**Snuffles2984- **Thank you! Very very glad you're loving it! Hope you liked this chapter!

**Hermoinewexa- **Thankyou very much! I'm very glad you like it! (Btw, I hope you get over your RED soon! Hehe. I think its catching)

**Hi I'm Crazy- **Hehe, glad you liked the SITDKWTTAA (whoa, long abbreviation!) and CA, (Chocoholics Anonymous). I like the idea of Remus and Sirius having a close relationship as well, I think they were very close friends.

**Elvengirl9- **That's okay, I really love your poems about Remus, they're just amazing. I'm glad you liked the part about Dumbledore's socks. Hehe.

**Weirdochelle- **Thankyou very much, I'm glad you're enjoying it. J

**Anarane**- Thankyou very much! Really, I appreciate it when people tell me things like that, I'm glad you like my Sirius and Remus, and the way I handle Peter. Although, I must admit, Peter doesn't say as much as the other three do! But kid-Peter's okay. Thanks very much again!


	16. Flying Lessons & Madam Sykes

**Year 1971, 1st Year:**

**James Jabbers:**

**Quote of the Day: **_The probability of someone watching you is proportional to the stupidity of your action._

"What are they all looking at?" Sirius said loudly as he, Peter, Remus and I entered the Gryffindor common room on a Wednesday afternoon, to find a group of first year girls crowded around the notice board.

"It's a notice for flying lessons!" I pointed out excitedly as we moved closer to the notice board. I read the title of the notice impatiently, it read:

_First Years Flying Lessons – Madam Jocunda Sykes_

I was looking very much forward to our first flying lessons. Even though I already knew how to fly, I wanted so much to be up in the air again on a broomstick with the familiar thrill that only flying could bring. I scanned the notice and remarked that we had our flying lessons with the Slytherins.

Peter groaned. "We're going to be with the Slytherins!" he said agitatedly.

"So?" Sirius said, failing to see Peter's obvious source of frustration.

Sirius, I noticed, was not in the least bit worried by us having to do our flying lessons with the Slytherins, and nor was I - I already knew how to fly and not even the Slytherins could put a damper on the feeling that I was going to be flying again in just a matter of days. The thing that stood out about Sirius was that he was very loud, hilarious, and also impulsive. The first couple of days he hadn't been like this. It might have been related to the Howler he'd received from his mother, and the other Gryffindors being cold towards him, and then his mother and father visiting the school and demanding him being moved to Slytherin (he told me all about it, and let's just say that I am extremely glad my parents aren't like Sirius'). But after the first couple of days, he seemed to settle in and not care about what anyone thought of him and reveal his true self. Which, I found, could be very annoying sometimes – (he still is). But I was very happy just to be at Hogwarts, and that I had found some great friends, especially Sirius, so I didn't mind his tendency to be uh… annoying.

"So, that means that they'll try something or… something," Peter said to Sirius, whom just laughed.

"The Slytherins try something? On _us_?" Sirius said, as if the very idea of the Slytherins trying to do something to us amused him greatly, "Even if they tried, they wouldn't succeed," Sirius said quite sure of himself. It seemed that Sirius so far, didn't care one sickle about the Slytherins.

"What makes you so sure?" Remus asked.

"Well because I'd curse them if they did," Sirius replied nonchalantly.

Remus rolled his eyes but didn't reply.

"Look, I don't know what you two are so worried about," I said to Peter and Remus, "So what, we're with the Slytherins, who, so far, don't seem all that scary, especially _Snivellus,_" I said and Sirius snickered at Severus Snape's nickname. Ever since the trip on the Hogwarts Express Snivellus seemed to have stuck, we couldn't stop calling him that, and nor did we want to, for that matter.

Of course Snape loathed his lovely nickname, but that didn't stop us calling him it either, in fact it actually gave us some encouragement. Ever since the Hogwarts Express trip, Snivellus had absolutely loathed Sirius, Peter, Remus and I. Not that Peter and Remus had anything to do with the whole incident, I think it's more of the fact that they started to hang around us that Snivellus hates them so much. Anyway, Snivellus had been trying to curse us every chance that he got, in the corridors, at lunch time, in the courtyard, he even tried in a Potions lesson once, which resulted in Sirius pouring the contents of his own cauldron over Snape's head, which of course, in turn, resulted in Sirius getting detention and ten points from Gryffindor. Yes, detentions were now becoming a regular pastime for Sirius and I, because of all Snape's attentions, and other factors, we were now receiving at least one detention every week, if not more.

"Yeah, there's nothing to worry about, remember the last time Snape tried to curse us?" Sirius asked with a silly grin on his face, "he smelt of dung for about a week! No one would go near him!" We all laughed, remembering the time when Snape unsuccessfully tried to curse us in the library and Sirius threw some of my dung bombs at him. It resulted in Snivelly, Sirius and I getting a month long ban from the library. Not that Sirius and I cared about being banned from the library.

7 7 7

The next two days went by quite slowly in my opinion, but that's always the case, isn't it? When you're looking forward to something or want time to go fast, then it crawls along at snails pace, but when you are dreading something, then it flies by as fast as it can. And at that time, it was about snails pace. All the first years were talking about was flying and Quidditch. It turned out that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had their first flying lesson together a day before us - which irritated me greatly.

Davey Gudgeon, a foolhardy first year Hufflepuff, claimed that he flew from Liverpool to London in under seven hours with no stops in between (which would be highly unlikely in _my _opinion, for one thing, you'd have a very sore behind at the end of it, and for another, Davey doesn't strike me as the type to be good with a broomstick, he's a bit of a klutz).

As for Peter, he couldn't fly at all, as his parents hadn't seen an urgent need to teach him how to fly, so he was very nervous about the whole thing, and having flying lessons with the Slytherins only made it worse for him. Remus had never flown either so it was a new experience for both of them (I think that his parents didn't let him fly, they were probably afraid of him having an accident. From what I've heard they're really protective of him). As for Sirius, his parents probably let him fly in hope of him falling off his broom, but apparently they haven't had much luck because Sirius could fly very well, as he'd been flying since he was five. And as for me, if you've been paying any attention, you'll have noticed that I can fly extremely well also. Flying is my greatest passion, actually.

But the story that had everyone excited about our upcoming flying lessons was that of Madam Sykes, or Jocunda Sykes, the flying instructor and Quidditch referee.

In fact, Sykes was something of a celebrity at Hogwarts, yes indeed; she was the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean on nothing but a broomstick- an Oakshaft 79 to be precise. And I was in awe of her; I admire anyone who can fly for that long without getting frostbite or simply falling off and getting eaten by a shark in the middle of the ocean. She is even on the chocolate frog cards because of it (I have a funny feeling that Dumbledore hired her because of this. He does hold chocolate frog cards in high regard). And I am proud to say that I have her chocolate frog card. A lot of people have been waving them around ever since they'd found out that she was the flying instructor at Hogwarts.

7 7 7

The afternoon of our flying lesson had finally arrived and Sirius, Remus, Peter and I were walking down to the Quidditch pitch, the girls of Gryffindor were walking behind us. The Gryffindors were mostly nervous and excited. I, for one, was excited. I couldn't wait to start flying again and I couldn't wait to meet Madam Sykes, whom I hadn't met yet.

It was a clear, slightly breezy day and the grass was swaying gently in the breeze. I noticed that the tall trees of the Forbidden Forest were swaying slightly in the breeze opposite the pitch.

Peter was very nervous, and Remus seemed a little paler than usual. I don't understand why they were so nervous, it's only flying for Merlin's sake! I mean, it's not _that _hard.

"Ugh, the Slytherins are already there," Peter said nervously.

"For Merlin's sake Peter, a couple of Slytherins are nothing to be afraid of!" Sirius said, getting impatient with him, "If they've any sense they should be the ones afraid of me," he grinned. I laughed.

When we arrived at the Quidditch Pitch we saw that Madam Sykes had laid out the school broomsticks in a line already.

"Nice to see some Gryffindors join us," Madam Sykes said as Sirius, Remus, Peter and I walked onto the pitch, followed by the girls.

"Good afternoon Madam Sykes," I said excitedly as I looked up at Madam Sykes.

"Afternoon boys," Madam Sykes said, "Right, now that everyone's here stand by a broomstick," Sykes ordered. We all walked over to a broomstick and stood beside it.

I looked over at the Slytherins and noticed Snivellus looking at me with a look of purest loathing, he was standing next to two Slytherin boys, one was Thane Mayson whom was very scrawny and had a permanent clueless look on his face, the other, Simon Biddick was the complete opposite of Mayson, he was very chubby and looked like he thought he was King of Britain. I grinned at Sirius, whom noticed that Snivellus was glaring at us, and we waved at Snape, who then proceeded to look away. Just today Snape had tried to curse us on our way to Potions, but a teacher caught him before he could do anything.

"Right," Madam Sykes said as she paced back and forth, "I'm sure you'll all know by now that I am the same Jocunda Sykes that flew across the Atlantic Ocean," she stopped pacing and waited for a reaction, we all nodded enthusiastically, "Good. I won't expect you to be as experienced as I am when it comes to flying, but I want you all to have a try. Am I clear?" Madam Sykes asked.

We all nodded again. I heard a distinct gulp from Peter. I looked over at Remus who was standing on the other side of me; he still seemed pale though his nervousness was not visible.

"Alright then. On the count of three say 'Up!' to your broomstick and it should fly into your hand… 1…2…3…"

"Up!" I said to the broomstick lying on the ground beside me, instantly the broom in front of me jumped into my hand. I looked around and noticed that Sirius' had as well, but ours were one of the few that did. Peter's didn't move, and Remus' did a wobbly sort of back flip thing. I was also pleased to note that Snivellus' didn't move an inch.

"Very good Potter! Black!" Madam Sykes said as she noticed our broomsticks in our hands. "Well?" Sykes said, looking at the rest of the class, "Say 'Up' again until you get it right!" she barked. Everyone then proceeded to say 'Up'.

I looked over at Snape whom was yelling 'Up' in an angry voice at his broomstick. I nudged Sirius and we started laughing. Snivellus noticed us laughing and yelled 'Up' even louder, hoping this time to get a result. But the outcome was (to our delight) not what he had expected, the broomstick indeed did move, but it sort of did a back flip over him and whacked him upside the back of the head. Sirius and I burst out laughing even louder.

"Are you sure you can control that broomstick Snivellus?" Sirius said loudly.

Snape instantly pulled his wand out of his pocket and yelled a curse, his wand aimed at Sirius (I'm really starting to think that Snape has an obsessive compulsive disorder concerning curses). A light shot out of his wand, but Sirius ducked just in time and the curse hit the redheaded girl behind him, Lily Evans. Suddenly leeks started to sprout out of her ears, and she screamed in agony.

"Stop it this instant!" Madam Sykes barked angrily at Snape. Snivellus seemed to obey her and he dropped his arm to his side, though he was staring at us with a vicious glare. The Slytherins were now laughing loudly at Lily Evans.

"Quiet! All of you! Twenty points from Slytherin for attacking a fellow classmate! Please take Miss Evans up to the Hospital Wing," Sykes said to Alexandra, the brown haired girl standing next to Lily. They started walking back up to the castle, "Mr. Snape, detention with me tomorrow night - I am appalled at your behavior," Snivellus let out a shout of indignation at this.

"Madam Sykes! It was Potter and Black's fault! They were taunting me!" Snape said in a rage.

"I don't want to hear excuses Mr. Snape. Now everyone try and get their broomsticks up for Merlin's sake," Madam Sykes ordered.

After waiting for another five minutes for people to get their broomsticks off the ground everyone finally had their broomsticks in their hand, everyone that is, except for Peter. Peter's broomstick simply refused to budge from its position on the ground; it didn't even twitch an inch when Peter said 'Up' in a loud voice to it. At first it was funny, but by then it was just getting annoying.

"Madam Sykes, can I fly my broom now? We could all fly while you teach Peter how to mount his," I asked Madam Sykes impatiently.

"Sorry Mr. Potter, but I have to supervise you while flying and I can't do that if I'm teaching just one student,"

"But Sirius and I already know how to fly, can't you just let us have a quick go Madam?"

"Sorry, but the answer is no Mr. Potter, now if you'd stop badgering me then I can help Mr. Pettigrew and the sooner I help Mr. Pettigrew the sooner you will get to fly," Madam Sykes replied.

I grumbled. I wanted to fly, not stand around holding a broomstick all day.

Madam Sykes went back to instructing Peter, who still hadn't managed to mount his broomstick, I could tell that Madam Sykes was getting impatient, "Mr. Pettigrew, if I can fly all the way across the Atlantic with nothing but my own broomstick then surely you can mount yours! Now try again!" Madam Sykes ordered.

We all looked at Peter and his unfaithful broomstick in anticipation. "UP!" Peter said desperately, I thought for sure that this time the broomstick would finally jump into Peter's hand, but alas, it did not. It moved, yes, it definitely moved, I saw definite movement, but all it did was roll over. The class groaned with growing impatience.

Either Peter's broomstick was a very very disobedient broomstick, or Peter was just a very very hopeless flyer. I think the latter is the more probable. But then again, the school broomsticks weren't that flash. But if most of the class could get theirs into their hands then I didn't see why Peter couldn't get the broom to obey him. I mean, it wasn't _that _hard.

Madam Sykes sighed dramatically and murmured something about the Atlantic Ocean.

"I'm sorry Madam Sykes," Peter squeaked, "The broom won't obey me! I've tried, but it just won't! I don't think I want to fly Madam! I can't fly!" Peter said exasperatedly, I heard the Slytherins sniggering.

"For Merlin's sake Mr. Pettigrew! You will fly! I didn't fly all the way across the Atlantic just to see people like you give up after a couple of tries!" Madam Sykes said, "Now for goodness sake boy, just pick up the broom and sit on it!"

Peter picked the broom up off the ground and mounted it.

"Right, now that you've all mounted your broomsticks, when I blow my whistle you kick off from the ground, rise a few feet, then come back down by leaning forward slightly, and remember to keep your broom steady! 1…2…3…!" Madam Sykes blew her whistle and at long last I rose up in the air on my broomstick. I saw everyone else rise up in the air at the sound of Madam Sykes whistle. Although I noticed that one student, Peter, was still on the ground. He looked extremely scared and nervous and had his feet firmly planted on the ground. I looked over at the Slytherins and noticed that Snivellus' broomstick was wobbling uncontrollably.

"Come back down!" Madam Sykes called to the class. I groaned.

"I was just getting started!" I yelled to Sirius.

"Me too!" he replied, "And no need to yell James! I'm right beside you, you idiot!"

"Oh, right, sorry."

We both leant forwards and came to a smooth landing on the ground. Remus was on the other side of me and he leant forward too fast and landed on the ground with a thump.

"Ow," he said. I chuckled.

"All right there Remus?" Sirius asked, as he walked over to Remus and grinned down at him, offering him his hand.

"Yeah, just leant forward too much, that's all," Remus replied taking Sirius' hand and standing up. I noticed that Remus hadn't been the only one to fall off his broomstick upon landing, as I now saw people pulling themselves up off the ground, one of whom was Snivellus. It seemed that Snivellus was pretty hopeless with a broomstick, although not as hopeless as Peter, who still hadn't flown; his feet were firmly planted on the ground.

"Mr. Pettigrew, please fly up in the air, come back down, and then you can go back to the castle, that's all I'm asking," Madam Sykes said impatiently to Peter.

"But Madam Sykes, I can't do it, I can't, it's too hard, I've never flown before, I'll fall off. I can't do it. I can't. I can't."

"There's no such thing as 'can't' Mr. Pettigrew! Now try and fly!"

"But I _can't_," Peter groaned. By now the whole class had put down their broomsticks and were looking at Peter.

"You can, and you will! Now give it a try! Nothing will happen to you!" Madam Sykes insisted.

"I'll fall of! I can't! I'm no good at these things!" 

"You aren't good because you've never tried, now try and we can all go back to the castle once you've finished."

Peter gulped. He seemed to be considering it. Then – "No, I can't do it Madam Sykes, I'm sorry, but I just can't."

Madam Sykes sighed in exasperation. "I've never met such an incompetent boy. All I'm asking is that you rise a few feet up in the air and then come back down, nothing too hard, just try it, go on," Madam Sykes insisted.

Peter didn't reply, however, he had his eyes shut tightly, his pale face shining with sweat, suddenly he kicked his feet hard off the ground and his broom started to rise. I whooped loudly, as did Sirius and Remus.

"On you Pete!" I yelled for support.

"See! I told you you could do it!" Madam Sykes yelled to Peter. Peter kept on rising, his eyes still tightly shut. "Now open your eyes boy, otherwise you'll run into something," Madam Sykes said.

Peter kept his eyes clamped shut, his broomstick was rising still.

"Come back down now," Madam Sykes yelled to Peter. But Peter, it seemed, could not get his broomstick to come down.

"Lean forward!" I yelled to Peter. Peter, being Peter, in a nervous fit, leant backwards. Suddenly Peter started to rise sharply, he screamed. Madam Sykes slapped her forehead in exasperation.

"Forward boy! Forwards! Not backwards!"

But Peter either did not hear her, or it didn't register because his broomstick was still rising swiftly and sharply, almost at a 90° angle. Peter was screaming.

"Lean forwards!"

Peter was rising forty feet – fifty feet – and even higher still, he was higher than the trees in the forbidden forest.

"LEAN FORWARDS!"

Peter finally leant forwards, and suddenly his broomstick came plummeting downwards. Straight in the direction of the forbidden forest.

"Uh oh," Remus said.

"Merlin's balls!" Sirius yelled, watching Peter plummet towards the trees in the forbidden forest, "He's going to run into a tree!" Sirius yelled, stating the obvious. Peter was getting closer and closer to the trees.

Suddenly there was a loud THUNK and all the roosting birds in the nearby trees screeched and flew off. Peter had flown straight into a tree. A loud groan came in the direction of the forest, and we all set off at a run towards the spot where Peter fell.

7 7 7

"You should have seen yourself! You looked like you were about to wet your pants or something!" That was Sirius.

It was after dinner, and Sirius, Peter, Remus and I were sitting up in our dormitory discussing the events of the day. We were all sitting on Peter's bed; Peter was laying in it, whining.

Luckily, Peter's injuries were only minor, he had only received a couple of grazes and bruises, oh, and a sprained ankle, nothing too serious, nothing was broken, but that didn't stop him from complaining about it. I've had much worse injuries.

Peter had seen Madam Pomfrey but after being patched up, and after some serious badgering on our part, Madam Pomfrey (who seemed to think a sprained ankle was nothing short of death) allowed Peter to go back to the common room, only after he had eaten some chocolate (which he accepted with pleasure), and promised to see her the next day.

Madam Sykes seemed to think a sprained ankle was nothing to be worried of, (as she had acquired many in her time, and seemed to think a sprained ankle was about as painless as a mosquito bite) and even suggested that if Peter got back on the broomstick again, she was sure that this time he would succeed. Peter, of course, was horrified at the very thought of this notion.

"Well you would have too, if you had seen trees coming at you 60 miles an hour," Peter replied.

"Peter if you lean backwards it means that you'll go faster and higher, try to remember that for next time," Sirius said grinning at the wounded Peter.

"Yeah, and forwards means that you'll come back down, not the other way round," I said.

"Perhaps we should embed it permanently on your forehead, forwards equals downwards and slower, and backwards equals faster and higher," Sirius teased.

We all laughed.

"Madam Sykes didn't seem to care much though, did she?" Remus said thoughtfully.

"She's crazy," Peter said, "Seriously, I don't think she would have cared if I had been dead, as long as I had a try at flying the bloody broomstick." We all laughed again.

"I thought she was cool," I said.

"You would James. She's just as mental about flying as you are," Remus said with a hearty grin. I pounced on top of Remus and wrestled him. Sirius then proceeded to jump on top of me, and Peter proceeded to yelp.

"That's my sore ankle! Ow! Get off my ankle! Ow! It hurts!"

We hastily went back to our sitting positions around the wounded.

"Right, sorry about that mate," I said to Peter, whom was pouting. 

"Yeah, sorry," Remus said, "although it was James who started it," he grinned.

"I'm sorry too mate," Sirius chuckled to Peter.

"You are not," Peter said.

"Dang it, you got me there Pete. I'm not really that sorry, actually, I thought it was quite amusing," Sirius said.

"No one will ever get sympathy from you, will they Sirius?" Remus said.

"Hum. No, probably not," Sirius replied happily.

And so ended another night in our delightful dormitory.

7 7 7

**Author's Notes: **Well seeing as you're all nagging me for a new chapter I decided to update quicker than I would usually. Now no more nagging! Hehe. No, I don't mind, you can nag if you want, as long as you say nice things! Though I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but don't expect it too soon! Oh yes, and I changed my pen name if you're wondering, I needed a change, but it's not permanent, I couldn't find one that isn't already taken! I need a penname! Thanks all for the reviews, love ya's all!

**Padfoot's Mate: **Aw, thanks very much! Here, have a cookie! hands you a cookie I'm glad you loved every bit! Hope you liked this chapter!

**Lavender-4-Seamus: **Thanks very much! I'm glad you love it, sorry about the slow updates! Heh. I just have been busy. Thanks for the compliment, I haven't written a novel before, but I would like to one day, I think it would be cool. Thanks very very much again!

**Anarane: **Glad you liked the chapter! It's a change to see Remus' and Peter's friendship I think, yes he was defensive of Peter, though one of the reasons why he actually spoke up about it was because he was still narky (hehe) from the full moon.

**Rondawg: **Thanks. Yeah, Remus was PMSing a bit, huh? He just had a rough night and the moon's made him a bit uh, moody. Poor Remus.

**Gevaudan: **Glad you liked the chapter. Yes, they should have explained about things better, oh well, at least the people that had read the books knew what was going on.

**Emmacrazy: **Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

**RayeCaouette: **Thankies! I don't really know who I see as Sirius or Remus, but not Thewlis & Oldman, I don't really see Eric Bana as Sirius though. Thanks again!

**Goldilocks31890: **Lol, dung-fart. Hmm. Glad you liked the chapter though, Peter really doesn't narrate that much though, Sirius on the other hand never stops narrating! I can't help writing things from Sirius' POV b/c it's fun!

**Mydream: **Thank you! Glad you both like it!

**This Parrot has ceased to be: **(I still love your name btw!) Yes, it would have been good if you hadn't read the books & weren't a fan, but they should have explained things, b/c people who hadn't read the books won't know. I didn't even notice the guy reading Brief history of time, hmm. Well you should keep writing your Peter story, Peter's not written about so much in ff. Thanks for reviewing!

**Janet-Lily: **Glad you liked the chapter. I will try to write more, but updating more frequently? I dunno about that! Heh.

**Jbanana: **I agree, I hate how movies ruin your image of a certain character (Legolas, is an exception of course! And Aragorn). I hate having to explain things to people who haven't read the book, that's why I seen the movie with someone who's read the books.

**Koriaena: **I hope you have seen PoA by now, I hope I didn't ruin it for you! Glad you like the story!

**Erica: **Yeah, the movie was def. too choppy, I hope the 4th movie will be good, though it will never equal the book IMO. Glad you like the story!

**Hi I'm Crazy: **Glad you liked the chapter, its hard to find things for Peter to say though, b/c usually when I write a line it's more suited to MPP. Anyway, lol, I was thinking "what the hell?" when the werewolf came on. I've been used to the first 2 movies grounds that's why I was like 'what?' they should have had the grounds like in the 3rd movie in the first two & it would have been better. I wish the shrieking shack scene were a lot longer, it left A LOT out! Anyway, you already know my thoughts! Thanks for the review.

**MutantJediBauer: **Well thank you! Well I never would have thought of any of them for Remus or Sirius, (actors) I didn't even know who Oldman & Thewlis were until HP, well I'd seen them in other movies (Dragonheart, 5th element) but never knew their names etc. My 2nd fave is prob. OotP as well, except for the end of course. Hehe, bald monkey with fangs- that sounds about right!

**Padfoot-911: **That's okay! Glad to see you're still reading & reviewing! Glad you agree with me! It's always hard to write from Peter's POV, because I'm like hmm, so what would he write now? What would he be thinking? And it's hard because it's hard to find stuff to write about (his thoughts etc) concerning Peter.

**Mars explorer: **Glad you agree with me! Yeah, that was strange how Hagrid's hut was in a dif. place, just weird, and what was the go with that long bridge thing? I'm glad you love the story! Keep reading!


	17. The Invisibility Cloak

**Year 1971, 1st Year**

**James Jabbers:**

**_Quote of the Day:_**_ Rules are made to be broken; especially when you inherit an Invisibility Cloak… _

It was about the third week into the first year when I decided that I could trust my new friends fully. I had decided that I had made some really genuine friends, Sirius especially, he seemed to share my love of misbehaving and we enjoyed every minute of it.

I was up in my dormitory searching for something that was in my trunk one afternoon when suddenly my hands came upon something silken and sleek, I grinned instantly; it was my father's Invisibility Cloak.

Dad had decided to hand it down to me when I received my Hogwarts acceptance letter, he had said that he wouldn't need it and that I would find better use for it than he ever would, he had presented it to me as my reward for being accepted into Hogwarts.

I pulled it all the way out of my trunk, it was a silvery gray, I held it up to the light and it glimmered in the sinking twilight, I had forgotten about it when I'd arrived at Hogwarts because of all the recent happenings. I remembered when dad used to show it to me when I was little, he always used to put it over just his head so he would be headless, or over his body so his head floated in mid-air, I remembered how he used to make me chuckle with wild laughter every time he did that. He used to tell me stories of how he used the cloak when he was at Hogwarts.

"Now Jamie," he used to say, "the best way to get into the kitchens in the middle of the night at Hogwarts is under an Invisibility Cloak, why, I remember how George and I used to sneak into the kitchens in the middle of the night and eat everything we could fill our stomachs with," he used to say.

At this point mum would say sternly, "Don't encourage him Harold!"

Dad would just say something to make her laugh and go on telling his story. Once he told me that he and his friends once used it to sneak into the Slytherin Head of House's private chambers to let pixies loose in there.

A sudden squeak from Peter's rat broke my thoughts. I looked back at the Invisibility Cloak and mused that it would be a good time to try it out and that I trusted Sirius, Remus and Peter enough to let them know about it as well. I admired it in the waning sunlight, it was one of my very precious possessions and it would be like a family heirloom, kind of like those rings or pieces of jewellery that fathers passed onto their sons when they came of age, and I knew I would pass it onto my son when he would receive an acceptance letter from Hogwarts. Suddenly the sound of muffled footsteps ascending the staircase broke into my thoughts, I could hear the softened voices of Remus, Sirius and Peter. Deciding that it would make a nice trick, I swished the Invisibility Cloak over my head and covered myself with it, totally forgetting what I had been looking for just minutes before.

The footsteps drew nearer as I retreated into a darkening corner, just as I had got to the corner I looked up to see the door being opened. Sirius, Remus and Peter strode into the room. Good they all were there, I thought as they kept talking.

"So where is James anyway?" Sirius said looking around the dormitory, apparently trying to figure out if I was still here.

"No idea, I thought he came up here," Remus answered looking around as well.

"Me too," Peter agreed as they all sat down on the end of their beds.

I put on a mysterious, ghost-like, haunted tone of voice "Siiiiiiirrrrrrrriiiiiiuuuuuussss," I said quietly. The effect had been instant and what I had expected; Sirius jumped, scratched his head and looked around uneasily to find the source of the voice.

"D…Did you guys hear that?" Sirius asked Remus and Peter.

"Hear what?" Peter asked.

"That voice! It said my name," Sirius explained.

"I didn't hear anything," Remus replied.

"Siiiiiiiirrrrrrriiiiiiiuuuuuuuussssssss," I said again in a mysterious voice. Sirius jumped again as I suppressed a chuckle, he was getting scared.

"I heard it that time!" Peter said looking scared, "maybe Hogwarts is haunted!" Peter squeaked.

"Of course it is idiot! There's ghosts' gliding all over the place! What do you think Nearly Headless Nick is you prat?" Sirius scolded Peter.

"Oh, I forgot about that," Peter said, his cheeks reddening.

"Sirius!" I said this time more quickly and in a choked sort of voice, Sirius jumped up off his bed. I sniggered.

"Seriously guys! What is that noise?" Sirius looked frightened now.

"I don't know," Remus said unhelpfully.

An idea hit me as I looked around the room and the scared occupants and I decided to have a bit more fun; I retrieved my wand from my robe pocket and started floating random items in the air. We had only learnt the Wingardium Leviosa spell just two days before, I was one of those who had mastered it easily, and I would never had thought that it would have came in handy so soon, I was extremely glad Flitwick had taught us this little spell, I thought, as I pointed my wand at a piece of parchment and started to levitate it.

Remus and Peter had jumped up to join the scared Sirius, and were now backing away from the floating items.

"What's going on?" Peter said in a panicky voice.

I made a bottle of ink circle around and around Sirius' head, and finally poured the entire contents over his head, Sirius yelled. I made the floating objects spin really fast around the three now standing in the middle of the room.

Suddenly, when all the objects were spinning at break neck speed, I pulled off the cloak and yelled, "BOO!" as loud as I could, at the same time all of the spinning objects fell to the floor clattering loudly; Remus, Peter and Sirius all screamed, then looked at me in disbelief.

I started to laugh uncontrollably, what a bunch of idiots! They fell for it! After he had recovered Sirius took one look at me then a glint came into his eye.

"You better run James if you don't want to die three weeks into the first year!" Sirius said with a wicked grin on his now ink saturated face.

I took one look at him then tore out the door. I sprinted down the steps and dodged the startled occupants of the common room, then I leaped out of the portrait hole and into the corridors, I turned my head around, Sirius was hot on my trail. I kept running until the end of the corridor and turned right, my eyes down at my feet while they worked at break neck speed.

I turned right again and suddenly I rammed into something hard, I stumbled and fell over onto the floor, I could hear Sirius catch up to me and then he stumbled over my body.

"Well, well, well," a voice above us snarled, I looked up. Bugger. It was the caretaker, Argus Filch. I had just run smack bang into the notorious Filch, he smirked with delight at the sight of me and Sirius lying on the floor beneath him, I sat up.

"Well, well, well," Filch repeated, (did he not have a bigger vocabulary then just one word? Was he going to sit here all night saying 'well, well, well'?), "what do we have 'ere? What would Mr. Potter and Mr. Black be doing running around the corridors like the idiots that they are with ink on their faces?" Filch asked with a malicious glint in his eye.  

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Black were humbly making their way back to the Gryffindor common room when they ran into the caretaker," Sirius talked back.

"Funny that, you should be going in the other direction, should you not?" Filch asked ignoring his comment.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Black got lost," I lied.

"A likely story Mr. Potter. Students are not allowed to run in the corridors, nor are they allowed to play tricks, you know that don't you Potter and Black? And it is unlikely that you would have 'forgotten' the way," Filch spat.

"We did forget! We're only first years!" Sirius said indignantly. He was a pretty good liar. As a matter of fact he still is.

"I am sure you did," Filch said sarcastically, "I'll see you in detention, Thursday night Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, 7:30, in the trophy room, don't be late! Now get back up to your common room!" Filch barked and marched away.

After his coat billowed out of sight Sirius called him every name imaginable as we stood up.

"Stupid bloody prat! Giving us detention! He had _NO_ proof!" Sirius said angrily as we stood up and made our way back to the Gryffindor tower.

"I know! That was way below the belt!" I agreed.

"Where'd you get that Invisibility Cloak from anyway?" Sirius asked after he had calmed down.

"Oh, my dad gave it to me before I left for Hogwarts," I said.

"Wish _my_ dad gave me stuff like that! They're really rare you know! Imagine how much stuff we can get away with now! This is the best! And the best part about it is that no one will know it's us!" Sirius said excitedly, soon forgetting about the incident with Filch, "Oh, and I _will _get you back you know…" he added as an after thought.

"That's great Sirius," I said off-handedly as we re-entered the common room, which was still full of people (who were laughing at Sirius' face), we walked up to our dormitory to find Remus and Peter chatting on their beds, after we had told them about our detention and my Invisibility Cloak, Peter said "We can get away with so much stuff! This is so cool! You are so cool James!"

Yep, I sure was. Still am.

7          7          7

It was a couple of days after I had tricked Sirius, and I was sitting in the Gryffindor common room by myself (Peter was up in the dormitory, and Remus and Sirius were Merlin's knows where) reading _Quidditch Through The Ages _when all of a sudden a dishevelled looking Sirius came bursting in through the portrait hole. As soon as he spotted me sitting in a comfy chair by the fire he practically bolted over to me and before I could say anything he yanked me off my chair and started talking extremely fast.

"James!! You've _got _to help me! Remus and I were walking in the forest and all of a sudden something came out of nowhere and swooped down on us and then Remus was gone!" Sirius babbled, sounding completely out of his mind.

"What are you talking about?!" I asked, bewildered.

"Something came and took Remus! Something in the forest! We went to have a look in the forest to see if this thing was real or not and after that thing came Remus suddenly disappeared! You've got to help me James!" Sirius said frantically, he looked as if he was about to start crying. I'd never seen Sirius look so dishevelled, panicky or this scared.

"Are you sure you didn't just leave him somewhere and this thing was just a bird or something?" I asked.

"No! I was walking with him! And this big black shape came out of the trees and knocked me over and then when I got back up Remus had disappeared! It wasn't a crapping bird! It was this big mother of a thing, a big black thing! But before I knew what to do it was gone!" Sirius said getting more hysterical by the minute. By now the other occupants of the common room were looking curiously at Sirius.

"Calm down Sirius," I replied worriedly, if what Sirius was saying was true then Remus could be in real danger. And it could be true because the forest was full of dark creatures, that's why it was forbidden and called the Forbidden Forest.

"I can't bloody calm down! Remus is out there in danger somewhere! We've got to go find him! Hurry!" Sirius said frantically, and before I knew it he had me by the sleeve and we were out of the common room and running through Hogwarts as fast as we could until we were out onto the grounds.

"Why the hell did you go into the forest anyway!? You know it's banned!" I asked, even though I probably would have done the same thing, but Remus could be in real danger.

"Some of the 4th and 5th Year Slytherins said that an ickle first year like me wouldn't go into the forest because I would be too scared and I told them that I wasn't afraid and that I'd go in there so they dared me to go and they kept on saying that I wouldn't, and I just got sick of them so I thought that I'd prove them wrong so I went in there and Remus came with me because he said it would be safer for me not to go alone and then he just disappeared when that black thing came at us!" Sirius spewed out his story frantically while we ran as fast as we could towards the forest.

I paled, "Why the hell would you do a thing like that Sirius?! The Slytherins are stupid! You know that! We all know that! Why the hell do you always have to prove yourself for everyone?! Remus could be in danger because of you!" I said angry with Sirius for doing something just because the Slytherins had said he wouldn't, though in the back of my mind I knew that I would have probably done the same thing. But that wasn't the point.

"I wanted to prove the stupid Slytherins wrong! They always think they're so good and I wanted to show them!" Sirius answered.

"Well you've done it now!" I replied, as we ran inside of the darkening Forbidden Forest. I shivered as we walked briskly along the path, the trees were getting dense and the last light of day was fading fast.

"Lumos," Sirius whispered as he held out his wand, I did the same.

"Shouldn't we go get Hagrid?" I asked trying not to sound scared.

"There's no point now, we _have_ to find Remus," Sirius said abruptly.

"Where were you when Remus disappeared?" I asked.

"It was around here," Sirius said stopping in a small dark clearing.

Sirius grabbed my sleeve and pointed, "Look at that!" he said pointing at a branch with something on it.

I looked at the branch; there on it was a ripped piece of material. A piece of black _school_ _robe_ material.

"It's a bit of Remus' robes!" Sirius said hysterically, running over to it.

I followed him, and it surely was a piece of black material, that looked like it was from a school robe. I felt myself paling and shaking, I was terrified, whatever had Remus was probably about to hurt him, or worse…

"Come on! We've got to find him!" Sirius said, frantically running forward.

I followed him. After a while of running suddenly Sirius stopped abruptly in front of us, he seemed rooted to the ground.

I ran to stand beside Sirius and saw exactly why he was so scared. There, about 5 feet away from us was a large black shape moving slowly towards us.

Sirius just stood there rooted to the spot with a look of pure terror on his pale face.

I could not move. My legs had gone totally numb and I tried to back away but all I could do was stand there staring with horror at the black thing that was surely about to hurt us or worse.

All of a sudden it let out a loud hideous shriek and came flying at us.

Sirius and I screamed.

The black thing swooped at Sirius and suddenly before I knew what was happening Sirius had disappeared!

The thing had taken Sirius!

I screamed as loud as I could.

I didn't know what to do, my legs still weren't functioning and I couldn't move from the spot. The black thing turned towards me and I heard a faint sound, it sounded like my name! There it was again! Then it made another noise, it was like it was trying to communicate with me, it made a low, hissing, long noise, and I caught the word 'this', that's what it sounded like anyway, 'this'? This what? I was beyond thought or reason and it seemed completely probable that this thing could speak. The next word I heard was 'is', and  'a', so it was 'this is a', this is a what? What was happening!? By now I was so freaked out that I was near to fainting, I heard the hideous black thing utter the last word slowly, 'p…r…a…n…k', prank? By now I was completely bewildered and freaked out.

Suddenly the black thing started laughing extremely loud. And it dawned on me exactly why. A _prank_! _This was a bloody_ _prank_! _Sirius_! This was all Sirius' prank! Suddenly the black thing moved a bit and I saw that the black creature consisted of a piece of material, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, both of whom were cackling with wild laughter.

I let out a loud sigh of relief then glared at the laughing Remus and Sirius, "You bloody _prats_! You good for nothing twits!"

Even though I felt immensely stupid and embarrassed for believing such a _dumb _story I could see the funny side of the situation. But still, I felt so stupid! I can't believe that I fell for something as stupid as this! Remus and Sirius were still laughing wildly.

"You… should have seen… your face!!" Sirius said between bursts of laughter.

I looked at him, annoyed, "Ha ha ha, you got me, big deal," I said feeling extremely stupid, I felt my face reddening.

"I'll never forget this moment. Ever," Sirius said still laughing. I knew that Sirius would never forget something like this, and he wouldn't let me forget it either. He would have it against me for the rest of our lives. I can't believe I actually believed him. That would be the last time I'd ever believe Sirius and his dumb stories, "you should have heard yourself scream, man James, you scream like a girl!" Sirius said still laughing and holding his stomach.

"You better run Sirius, if you want stay alive, both of you, actually," I replied looking at Remus and Sirius.

"Ooh I'm so scared," Sirius said laughing.

"You better be," I replied as I took a step towards Remus and Sirius and held my wand out.

Suddenly Sirius and Remus started bolting away, I ran as fast as I could after them, and followed them out of the forest and all the way back up to the castle. I didn't know exactly what I'd do when I caught up with them but I knew that I would catch up to them, Sirius and Remus could run no where near as fast as I could.

An idea for a payback prank was already forming in my head, and it was not a pretty one. Silently I made a vow to get both of them back. And it would not be pretty. James Potter shall show no mercy!

7          7          7

So that's how Sirius got me back for my Invisibility Cloak prank. Now when I look back on it it's hilarious, but it was bloody scary when Sirius told me that story and when I saw that black thing. Needless to say, I did get him back, and we've been playing pranks on each other and everyone else around us ever since.

7          7          7

**Author's Notes: **Well, there's the chapter for you! And it was by James again! Hope you liked it! Sorry about not updating for a while, I've been busy, and I probably won't update for a while after this either, I've got exams in a few weeks.

**Gevaudan- **Lol. Thanks! Glad the mental picture of someone with leeks growing out of their ears kept you entertained, yes it was a pity that it was Lily, but this is where Lily is building up all the hate for James & Sirius, she thinks it's their fault that she got cursed from Snape (which it was because Sirius ducked!) so she has her reasons for hating them.

Padfoot's Mate: Thanks again! Yes Peter is absolutely hopeless when it comes to flying, originally I was going to put it as Remus, but then I thought, no, I couldn't do that to Remus! And Remus isn't that hopeless at flying. Heh. 

**Anarane: **Thanks! Yep, I'm with Sirius as well. Heh. Who isn't?!

**Princess-Meg1415- **Yeah, poor Peter, but that's Sirius for you, he doesn't realise it could hurt him. I'm glad you liked it, and the way Remus' and Peter's friendship is developing. Thanks very much for reviewing!

**Goldilocks31890- **Thanks! I'm glad you love those parts, I love writing them, they're the most fun POV to write from.

**Mydream- **Thanks very much again!

**Danielle- **Thankyou very much! I'm really glad you like it, and like seeing things through Peter's eyes. About Harry's patronus, they totally changed it from the original, and it was a bit corny, but I don't think Harry would have remembered that much about Lily & James.

**Weirdochelle- **Thank you! Glad you like it!

**Rondawg- **Thanks! Yes, I think Moony is a lot more sympathetic of Peter than the other two, but they grow to like him.

**Koriaena- **That's all right then, glad I didn't spoil it for you!

**Padfoot-911- **Glad you liked it! And I'm glad you like to hear from James, I love James too, he's cool. I hope you liked this chapter as well, it was written by James heh.

**Krizue- **Thanks very much! Glad you like it! I can't make Peter suffer _too _much though! That could look a little too suspicious heh. Of course I will treat Sirius well! I love him so I couldn't do anything particularly nasty to him.

**This Parrot has ceased to be- **Thankyou! Yes Peter is particularly whiny. Well, Madam Sykes, I'm not sure if she's in the books or not, oh yes, now I remember, she's in _Quidditch Through The Ages, _that's where I got her from.  I just expanded her character a bit J

**Hannanora-Potter- **Hi.Heh, don't worry about it! I understand, I go on the net then meaning to look up something then I get distracted and totally forget about what I originally went on for! Lol. Thanks very much for your comments! So how's your story going?

**Hi I'm Crazy- **Thanks very much! Yes the bragging was intentional, I'm glad you liked her bragging, heh, I like her as well. She's pretty crazy. But that's normal for Hogwarts staff. ;)

**Alex- **Thanks very much! Glad to be of service. I love Sirius as well (I don't know how many times I've said that now, lol). Thanks for reviewing!

**Beansie- **Glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!


	18. Up To Mischief

**Disclaimer: **The Harry Potter universe including the characters belongs to J.K Rowling, I am just using them for fun!

**Author's Notes: **Thanks very much to all the reviewers and readers; I really appreciate your reviews! Now… Please Review!

**Year 1971, 1st Year **

**Peter's Prattle:**

**_Quote of the Day_**_: Most things are best attempted under an Invisibility Cloak…_

Now that we could use James' Invisibility Cloak all kinds of possibilities were open to us, and if we were careful we would never be caught. That was the beauty of it, we could get away with things right under the teachers' noses and we'd never be caught if we were cautious. At night sometimes James and Sirius would go about Hogwarts under the cloak, I didn't know where they went, and sometimes Remus and I would accompany them on their little adventures. It was one of these times when we all went out under the Invisibility Cloak that we prepared one of our first major pranks. We had planned it ahead of time so we knew what to do.

"I'm not sure we should do this guys…" Remus said as we took off the cloak once we had stopped outside the Hogwarts kitchens, which we had found quite by chance when we were exploring the castle a couple of days earlier.

"Oh come on Remus, don't go all soft now," Sirius replied pulling his wand out of his robe pocket.

"I'm not it's just…"

"Just what?" James asked impatiently.

"Well, I don't know… we shouldn't be doing this," Remus answered slowly.

"Remus, don't be so prissy, it'll be hilarious tomorrow morning when everyone goes to eat breakfast," Sirius said.

"Oh all right then," Remus said finally agreeing.

"Good, now let's go in," I said, wanting to get inside.

Sirius tickled the pear and suddenly the painting opened to reveal the kitchens of Hogwarts. There were four main tables in the kitchens, they were set out like the Great Hall above and food was put on them to be sent straight to the house tables in the Great Hall. Clean plates and cutlery were all set up on the tables ready to be filled with food. The kitchen was empty save for a few house elves here and their cleaning up, all the rest of them were cleaning about the castle.

A house elf with a nose that looked like a small carrot and large eyes that were as big as tennis balls shuffled over to us as we walked in.

"Would the masters like something to eat?" The house elf asked.

"Yes please," I said eagerly.

Sirius glanced at me. "Peter, this is not the time for eating, we're on an important mission," Sirius said as the house elf went to get some food.

I blushed.

The house elf had returned "Would the master like us to wraps it up for later?" the house elf asked, holding a cluster of food in its hands.

I nodded eagerly and the house elf shuffled off again.

"Right, now that Peter has his food, could we start?" James asked impatiently.

"Yep, what's that spell again Remus?" Sirius asked.

Remus showed us the said spell for our planned prank.

"Right, I'll do the Gryffindor table," James said indicating to the equivalent of the Gryffindor table, "Remus, you can do the Ravenclaw one, Peter you do the Hufflepuff one and Sirius can do the Slytherin one," James went over to the Gryffindor table.

Sirius smirked and went over to the Slytherin table, Remus walked over to the Ravenclaw table and I made my way over to the Hufflepuff table.

Our plan was to make everything levitate above the tables, (cutlery, plates, goblets etc) so that whenever someone would try to grab their plate or fork the plate would fly away and just keep levitating, but it would be only for a day or so, (the spell we knew would only last a day, if that) just to annoy the hell out of everyone, although there was one major flaw; _our_ plates would also be levitating. Remus pointed this out to Sirius and James but they said it was well worth it so they didn't care. They also reminded him that if our plates were the only ones to stay on the table the next morning it would be very difficult to appear innocent, even with our 'angel faces' as Sirius liked to put it.

I started to charm the plates and cutlery on the Hufflepuff table to levitate in the air. To start off with I had a bit of trouble with making the things levitate, after all, this charm was harder than the Wingardium Leviosa spell because it required the object to stay up in the air without the spell caster's wand aimed at it for a longer amount of time.

James had come up with the idea for this prank, he had the idea of levitating things and Sirius had the idea of doing it at the Great Hall at breakfast time and it sort of developed from there.

So then we asked Professor Flitwick about what spell would make objects stay in the air for longer than the Wingardium Leviosa spell and he showed and taught us this handy little spell, I think that he was so happy that we wanted to learn an extra spell that he didn't care what we used it for, but I do believe that he must have had a pretty good idea about what we would use it for. But it's all in good fun anyway, and I don't think Flitwick minds so much about it as long as we can do the spells.

As you probably know, for a simple prank to be pulled off successfully requires careful preparation and planning, and this one was no different. It took us the better part of a week to master the spell required for the prank, of course James mastered it quickly because he had already mastered the Wingardium Leviosa spell, Sirius and Remus mastered it pretty soon after as well, only with a couple of mishaps, and I, as usual, was the last one to master the spell, well it _was _a pretty hard spell.

Flitwick had said that we wouldn't be learning it until a lot later in the year, but with the help of James, Remus and Sirius, I mastered it eventually. It's hard because it involves a swift and precise wand movement, not just the _swish_ and _flick_ of the standard spell.

Thinking about this I moved my way along the Hufflepuff table, carefully charming each object, and soon, I, along with Remus, Sirius and James, had finished charming our set tables. We all stood back to check if everything was right.

"Sirius, what did you write 'Slytherin Sucks' on your table for?" James asked.

"Because they do," he replied simply.

"Yeah, well, they'll know it was one of us that did it now, you git," James said.

"Who cares? We have to show the Slytherins exactly what we think of them, we have to put them in their place," Sirius said.

Remus muttered something like, "He'll never learn," but before Sirius had the chance to reply the house elf that had given me food earlier had returned and was looking over at the tables we had charmed.

"Er, sirs, Pippy couldn't help but notice what sirs have done to the tables," The house elf obviously named Pippy said.

"Very observant," Sirius said sarcastically, the house elf, however, beamed in delight.

"Thank you sir! You are too kind! But, er, Pippy is wondering exactly _why _sirs are doing this to the house tables," Pippy said nervously.

"It was direct orders from Dumbledore," Sirius said looking at the house elf.

"Oh! But, why would Dumbledore order such things?" Pippy asked.

"Oh, you know Dumbledore," James said, bending down to Pippy's height, "He always wants to have a bit of fun when the houses get together," he said.

"Oh! Oh, Pippy understands sir!" Pippy said proudly.

"Yes, that's right," Sirius said.

Without another word the house elf scurried off and resumed cleaning.

"Strange," Sirius commented as we watched the house elf retreat.

"And gullible," I added.

"Hey, we forgot the staff table!" James pointed out as he stood up again. He was right, we _had _forgotten to do the staff table.

"Do you really think we should charm the staff table? I mean, we don't _have _to," Remus said, somewhat uncertainly.

"Yes, come on Remus, every table has to be charmed to make it look less er- obvious," James grinned.

Remus rolled his eyes (a trait that he still has today) and said, "fine then, but I don't think McGonagall's going to like this one bit."

"Who cares?" Sirius said as he made his way over to the staff table and started to charm the objects there. Remus, James and I followed closely behind him.

Once we had all finished on the staff table we stood back to admire our handiwork. Goblets, plates, knives, forks, spoons, serving bowls, platters and every other random culinary ware were now levitating about three feet above every equivalent table that people ate at in the Great Hall.

"Oh this is going to be good… yep… this will be _very_ good," James said with a grin, as he looked around at our handiwork.

7 7 7

**_Stupid question of the week award goes to Snivellus; for the question_**_: "What is this bloody owl doing?" when an owl was pecking the heck out of him for 'unknown reasons'… _

The next morning when we walked into the Great Hall for breakfast we found, to our immense amusement, that everything was in a complete and utter chaos.

"Looks like it worked!" I said, grinning, as I looked around the Great Hall.

Plates, goblets, knives, forks, spoons, bowls and various other implements were all levitating around the house and staff tables, whenever someone went to grab a plate it flew out of their reach and collided with another implement with a loud smash. Breakfast was still available, but it was all sitting on the tables without plates, bowls or platters to support it. Kippers, eggs, bacon, toast and other bits of food were all lying on the table without so much as a bowl underneath it. Students and staff alike were waving their hands and wands around dumbly trying to get the levitating objects down from their place in the air (Dumbledore looked like he was having the time of his life and McGonagall wasn't present yet, luckily). The hall was filled with utter confusion and noise. To add to the mayhem the daily owls had just come flying in with loud screeches only to collide with the nearest plate or bowl.

James, Sirius, Remus and I all surveyed this amusing scene with delight and suppressed laughter as we walked over to the Gryffindor table.

"Not your daily breakfast scene is it?" James said with a look of utter amusement on his face.

Sirius, James, Remus and I burst out laughing as the owls begun pecking the teachers and students in their confusion.

"Oh Sirius, that's _disgusting_," Remus said looking at Sirius, whom had picked up a piece of bacon from the table and begun to eat it.

"Wha…? I gotug ep yo' kno," Sirius said, chewing on the bacon.

"Yes, but you don't have to eat off the table! That's gross, you don't know what's been on there," Remus said disapprovingly.

"Yes mum," Sirius said as he picked up a piece of toast and proceeded to eat in front of Remus' face, just to annoy him.

"Get out of my face," Remus said pushing Sirius away.

"Hey, look, Snivelly is staring at us," I said, nodding over to the Slytherin table (which indeed did have 'Slytherin Suck' written on it in glowing bright red letters). Snivellus was glaring over at us with a look of loathing in his eyes; Sirius gave a very rude sign in answer and before he could make any kind of reprisal against Sirius Snivellus was forced to look away due to an owl pecking him.

"This is too good to be true," I laughed as we watched the owl peck Snivellus to our enjoyment.

"Who needs entertainment when we've got this?" Sirius said throwing his arms up to indicate the mayhem that was present throughout the Great Hall.

"My friends," James said in the midst of the turmoil, "this is our first successful prank."

"Yes… let it be known by all here present today that," Sirius said in a mock formal manner, he looked around at all of us in turn, then continued "James, Remus, Peter and myself (of course) will hence have a reputation as the pranksters of Hoggie-Warts. During our years here we will make the teachers cringe, the students whinge and the ghosts…" Sirius looked at us for ideas for a word that rhymed with 'whinge'.

"Tinge?" I suggested.

Sirius raised his eyebrow, "Oh well, that'll do. During our time here at Wartie-Hogs, we will make the students whinge, the teachers cringe and the ghosts, uh…tinge…"

James stood up and put his hand on his heart like he was taking an oath or something, "We will be a nightmare to whoever stands in our way, we will prank like no one has ever pranked before, and we will annoy the hell out of all Slytherins (especially Snivellus)."

And so we did…

7 7 7

**Author's Notes: **Hi! I've finished my exams, but there'll be some more major ones coming up later in a couple of months so it's all work work work from here on out, groans. There's the next chapter for you, hope you liked it! All they seem to be doing at the moment is pranking and generally doing stupid things (this is a MWPP story after all, what _did_ you expect? Heh) okay, seriously (pun not intended) there's going to be some drama later on- involving Sirius and who else but his family, oh and something involving earlier chapters will be tied up so to say.

**Hannanora-Potter: **Heh. Glad you liked it! Yes Sirius proved that he can scream like a girl, heh, but it's all in the art of acting! (Or so we _think_, heh) I read your chapter 12, you should have got my review by now though so you know what I thought of it.

**Gevaudan- **Glad you liked it! And thanks very much for the luck!

**Anarane- **Glad you liked it! I have to admit I like Sirius' prank more than James' as well, but I am a bit biased in things concerning Sirius. I wrote Sirius' payback later because the chapter was too short, and I ended up liking that part more than the original chapter with just James!

**Mydream- **Thanks very much!

**Koriaena- **Lol, yes they surely are!

**Paddfoot911- **Thank you very much! I'm glad you like the way I write. Heh, you have the whole Peter's Prattle Sirius' Story thing down pat, next time it'll either be Sirius or Remus… or James, so in other words, anyone other than Peter who just had his turn! Heh. I'm glad reading this gives you something to do!

**Carlie Black- **Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it. Hope you liked this chapter.

**Goldilocks31890- **Heh. So glad you liked it! Sorry but it was Peter up next, but it might be Sirius or Remus next chapter! Yes I have seen King Arthur! I watched it yesterday; it was great, except I didn't like the last battle because my favourite knight died! He shouldn't have died! Wah! He's too hot to die! Heh. (I hope you know who I'm talking about! I don't want to spoil it for anyone)

**Jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj- **Thanks very much! I'm very glad you like it!

**Raye Caouotte- **Glad you liked the prank! Lol, you don't sound too sick, I think the same, some hot tail in the HP movies would be a good thing. If only they made a movie about MWPP. That would be good. But they should let the fans do the casting! Heh.

**Beansie- **Lol, no, I have no idea where that is from. Hope your heads still attached to your body (you were rolling on the floor laughing head off). Okay, that was lame I know. Sorry! Heh. Glad you liked it!

**Padfoot's Mate- **Thanks very much for the luck! Glad you loved the chapter! I tried to get good grades, but I sorta did loose my cool, heh, but that was after the exam so it's not so bad.

**October Sky- **Thanks very much! I'm very glad you liked it!

**Elvengirl9- **Hi! Thanks lots! I'm glad you liked it and thought it was funny. I totally agree with you, the best thing James ever did was marry Lily.

**Janet-Lily- **Sorry for not updating in a while, but I've been busy. I've been meaning to update before this but wasn't working properly so I gave up.


	19. Hallowe'en

**Year: 1971 1st Year**

**James' Jabberings:**

**_Moral of the Day: _**_Never, **ever**, believe **anything** a Slytherin tells you… especially on Hallowe'en_

It was after lessons on a Friday - the day of the Hallowe'en Feast, and Remus, Sirius, Peter and I were all sitting outside in the mild October weather, we had already finished our lessons for the day, and had decided to spend the rest of our break outside, in the last weak rays of sunshine that October provided.

I, for one was very excited about the Hallowe'en feast, I had been talking to a couple of older kids, and they had said that there were all kinds of candy and lots of food, and that the decorations were really cool as well. Basically it was a huge pig-out on the students and teachers behalf.

So naturally it was a hotly anticipated date by many of the first years, whom had never experienced Hallowe'en at Hogwarts yet.

I, of course, had never seen a Hallowe'en feast at Hogwarts, and I was one of the first years who were greatly excited by the idea of a huge pig out (I was also looking forward to seeing the decorated Great Hall, I had heard they were rather good). Usually on Hallowe'en I would spend the night with my father and mother and my cousins and other younger relatives. My parents would get all the younger kids together who were not yet old enough to attend Hogwarts, and we would eat a big meal and lots of lollies afterwards. We would play games, and tell scary stories, and stuff like that until it was really late.

But this year there would be none of that for me, because this year I was at Hogwarts, attending the Hogwarts Hallowe'en feast.

But the feast wasn't due to start for about another forty minutes. And Peter, for one, could not wait.

"I can't _wait_ till the Hallowe'en feast," Peter said happily, "all that candy…" he dreamed.

"Yeah, but you'd better not eat too much though," Sirius said. Peter went red, and Remus shook his head at Sirius, who shrugged in return.

"Yeah, anyway," I said, steering the conversation away before Remus said something about Sirius being insensitive, "I'm so glad that we've actually started to learn the fun stuff, now that we've done the basics in classes. That was boring," I said.

"It wasn't that bad, I didn't know a bit about what the Professors were teaching us," Remus replied.

"I wonder what everyone thinks is so bad about the Forbidden Forest?" Sirius cut in to the conversation which was clearly boring him, his gaze turned towards the closely knitted trees that was the Forbidden Forest.

"Apparently it's got all these monsters in there, like werewolves and stuff," I replied, also looking over at the Forbidden Forest.

I noticed that Remus' eyes went wide at my reply. "What, don't tell me you're _scared _of them, Remus?" I asked mockingly.

"…No," Remus said, jumping at my question, "of course not," he added rather quickly. Though I had a fair idea that he probably _was_ scared of the idea that werewolves and who knows what else, were lurking in the forest.

"You've been in there before anyway," Peter said, referring to the time when Sirius had played a prank on me to get me back for the time I pranked him.

"Let's go in there again," I said, looking over at Remus to see if he would jump, he didn't, however.

"It's your funeral," a voice said suddenly behind us, making us all jump. We turned around to see who it was. It was Snivellus and his 'friends'- a second year Evan Rosier and the two Lestrange brothers, Rabastan and Rodolphus.

"What the hell do you want?" Sirius asked instantly with a look of contempt on his face. Sirius and I had taken a great 'dislike' to Severus Snape ever since that incident on the train. And it didn't help that Snape was a slimy oddball that took any chance he could get to insult us, and that he hung around with older Slytherins who were clearly evil brutes. Sirius stood up to face the Slytherins. I stood up after him.

"We just overheard that you want to go into the Forest," Rabastan Lestrange said.

"So? What's that got to do with you?" I asked.

"Watch your mouth Potter," Rosier said. The Slytherins laughed.

"Anyway," Snivellus said, "I bet you're too scared to go in there, especially since it's Hallowe'en," Snivellus sniggered.

"What's Hallowe'en got to do with anything?" Sirius said brusquely, quite aggravated with our unwelcome visitors. I didn't blame him.

"Haven't you heard?" Rodolphus asked with a glint in his eye, "The rat Black and his little friends don't even know about what happens on Hallowe'en at Hogwarts," he said to his friends, sneering, the others sniggered.

"I bet nothing happens, you're just lying," I said, challenging him.

"Oh _am_ I?" Rodolphus said, "We'll see who's lying when you find out exactly what's in that Forest," Rodolphus said, looking at the Forbidden Forest.

"What happens then?" Sirius demanded, glaring at Rodolphus.

"You tell them, Rabastan, I couldn't be bothered explaining everything to these half-wits," Rodolphus said.

"In medieval times there used to be a Headmaster named Haviar Slade, he used to be a vicious Headmaster, whenever a student got detention with him he used to tie them up in the dungeons for days until he thought they'd learnt their lesson," Rabastan said, his face darkening, "and the story goes that one Hallowe'en night, he went on a mass murder and slaughtered his students. It is said that his victims' spirits fled to the Forbidden Forest, and they are still there today, and that Slade's spirit also lies in the Forbidden Forest, haunting the spirits, and haunting any student who goes inside…" Rabastan finished in a low, haunting voice.

My eyes widened, that couldn't be true! The Headmaster would have told us if something like that happened, we would know about it.

Sirius stated exactly what I had been thinking, "You're lying! The teachers or Dumbledore would have told us if that had happened," Sirius said to Rabastan. I noticed that Remus and Peter also had a wide-eyed look about them.

"_Would_ they?" Rodolphus asked, looking darkly at us, "You really think that they'd tell you the truth about why the forest is forbidden? You really think that they'd want to scare the ickle first years?" Rodolphus furtively.

"Our parents would have told us," I said.

"_Your_ parents wouldn't even know about it," Rosier said, looking at me.

"Well how come you know about it then?" Sirius cut in before I had the chance to retort on the fact that one of the Slytherins had once again insulted my parents.

"Haven't you learnt _anything_ Black? _Our_ parents," Snivellus gestured at himself, Rosier and the Lestranges, "…know everything that's happened at Hogwarts since the Founder days because our parents are in a higher circle than that of the _Potters_," Snivellus said.

"Don't you dare insult my parents!" I said. How dare that slimy Snivellus say anything about my parents!

"Give it up Potter, you're too weak to take us on," Rabastan said.

"You want to ma-"

I didn't have the chance to finish as Sirius cut over me again "Well we know you're still lying," Sirius said.

"No we're not," Rosier said.

"Prove it then," Sirius replied.

"Oh, _we_ don't need to prove anything, go in and see for yourselves if we're right or not," Rodolphus said.

"Why should we?" Sirius asked.

"I knew they'd be too scared, Rodolphus," Rabastan said, looking over at his brother.

"For _your_ information, we've been in there before," I replied sanctimoniously.

"_You_?" Rabastan said loftily, "I highly doubt it Potter, I bet that you haven't ever stepped a foot in that forest, you're too _scared_," he finished, sniggering.

"We have so! We went in there a couple of weeks ago," I replied.

"I highly doubt that a bunch of scum like you would have gone into the forest," Rosier said.

"Don't you insult my friends!" Sirius said vindictively.

"Shut up Black, anyway, we _knew_ you'd be too scared to go in there," Rabastan said.

"We're not scared," I said.

"Yes you are, and that's just what we expected from brats like you and your slimy friends, too scared to go anywhere," Rosier taunted.

"We're not bloody scared!" I said.

"Prove it then," Rodolphus replied, leering at us.

"We will!" Sirius said.

"Go on then, run along," Rosier said, sniggering.

"Come on guys," Sirius said to Remus, Peter and I, "_we'll_ prove you wrong," Sirius said to the Slytherins.

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Rabastan said, smirking.

"Do we _have _to come?" Remus asked sounding annoyed. Maybe he really was scared of the forest and what was inside it.

"Oh, poor ickle shabby Lupin is scared," Rodolphus said, and the rest of them laughed, "It's okay shabby," Rodolphus taunted Remus.

"No, I'll go," Remus said, standing up and looking at Rodolphus coldly. This surprised me somewhat, Remus wasn't one to stand up to an older Slytherin.

"Oh, you _are_ brave, aren't you?" Rabastan said scornfully.

None of us said anything however, and we turned away and made our way towards the Forbidden Forest, I could hear the Slytherins' laughter from behind me.

"Stupid idiots," Sirius said as we got closer to the Forbidden Forest, "I bet they're just lying about that headmaster anyway."

"You reckon?" Peter asked worriedly, as we walked into the cover of the trees.

"They probably are," Remus said, trying to comfort Peter, though he too looked a little scared. I must admit, even I felt a little scared. I looked around the forest and saw the trees darken ahead, and they started to thicken out and form dense canopies above us.

"Bloody Slytherins," I murmured, "how dare they say anything about my parents! My parents are respected, more respected than Rosier's, or Snivellus' _or_ the Lestrange's', everyone knows they're evil,"

"They're just doing it to spite you James, don't take any notice of them, they don't know any better," Remus said to me.

"Yeah whatever," I said, still irritated at the Slytherins.

We walked on in silence.

"Oh man, the feast starts in about fifteen minutes!" Peter said after a while, momentarily forgetting his fear, as he looked at his digital watch.

"Well we can't go back yet," Sirius said.

"Why not?" Peter asked.

"Because we've only been in here for about ten minutes, the Slytherins will think that we chickened out," Sirius replied as we kept on walking. The trees were definitely getting thicker now, and it was growing immensely dark.

I pulled out my wand and lit it up; Sirius, Remus and Peter did the same.

Suddenly Peter stopped, "What's that?!" he asked frantically pointing ahead.

I looked in the direction he was pointing at, and saw a black shape in a dark clearing ahead of us. My eyes widened in fear, maybe this was the spirit of the man that the Slytherins had been talking about! I couldn't see exactly what it was from where we were.

"Maybe that's the spirit thing!" Peter whispered frantically.

"What do spirits look like?" I asked Sirius, a bit scared. Okay, I admit, I was more than a bit scared. But you would be as well if you saw a black shape lurking in front of you, after the Slytherins had just told you a story about a mass murdering headmaster.

"How am I supposed to know?!" Sirius answered, sounding a bit scared himself.

"Let's go closer," Remus said.

"Are you off your rocker?!" I whispered to Remus, whom was clearly loosing his mind.

"No, but I want to see what it is," Remus replied.

Suddenly Remus crept forward silently, I looked at Sirius who shrugged and followed Remus, I followed them and Peter followed me.

Suddenly there was a crack and the black shape suddenly disappeared before I could see what it was.

"What was that crack?" I asked worriedly.

"Remus stepped on a twig," Sirius said, scowling at Remus.

I looked at Remus ahead of me, and to my disbelief he seemed to be silently laughing.

"Why the hell are you laughing?" Sirius whispered, surprised.

Remus didn't reply, he just kept on laughing.

"I seriously think he's gone mental," I said to Sirius and Peter, they both nodded.

"Er- Remus, are you okay?" Peter asked Remus, whom was stilllaughing.

"Y…Yes-" Remus said in between bursts of laughter.

"What the hell are you laughing at Remus?!" Sirius asked.

"Y…you know what that black thing was?" Remus asked us. We shook our heads.

"I didn't get the chance to see what it was before you stepped on that bloody twig," Sirius answered.

"It was… it was a dog! A dog! And you three were scared out of your pants!" Remus giggled. Yes, giggled.

"What?! It can't have been a ruddy dog, it was huge!" I said, not believing I had thought a dog to be a spirit.

"It was a dog! Haven't you ever seen Hagrid's dog - Fang?" Remus asked.

"Yes, but that couldn't have been him," Sirius said.

"And _why_ not?" Remus asked when he finally finished laughing.

"Because then that would mean that Hagrid has to be here as well, and he's clearly not," Sirius replied, he sounded pleased with himself, thinking that he had proved Remus to be wrong. But then…

"Yeh got tha' one wrong," said a deep voice from behind us. We all jumped and turned around slowly to see no one else but Hagrid towering over us, he was holding a large crossbow in his hands. Fang was also there, sitting behind him. Damn! We were in trouble now. We had just been caught walking around in the Forbidden Forest, when we had been specifically told that it was out of bounds, and we were meant to be up at the feast.

"Oh! Hagrid…er- hi…" I said, trying to make merry conversation and sound innocent.

"Hi yerself. What are you four doing out 'ere?" Hagrid asked, towering above us.

"Oh, we-um, got lost?" Sirius tried. I found out later that this was his favourite phrase to use whenever we got caught in a place where we shouldn't be.

"Got lost?" Hagrid asked, "Yeh should know yeh way around by now. I always knew that yeh three would be trouble," Hagrid said, looking at Sirius, Peter and I.

"Hey! What about Remus?!" I asked.

"Remus has a bit more sense in 'im than you three," Hagrid said, Remus grinned, "anyway, what are you four doing out 'ere?" Hagrid asked us.

"We were taking a stroll," Sirius said.

"Sure sure," Hagrid said, "I'll let yeh off this time but next time I find yeh in 'ere it's straight to McGonagall, understand?" Hagrid asked.

We nodded our heads vigorously. Wow, Hagrid was actually going to let us off and not tell McGonagall! I couldn't believe our luck.

"Now follow me before yeh get into any more trouble, we're goin' back now," Hagrid said as he started to walk back. We followed him.

"Yeh late fer the feast as well," Hagrid said.

"Yeah, we know…" Peter said mournfully.

"Yeh lucky no one else caught yeh," Hagrid said as he walked along in large strides.

"Why were you in here Hagrid?" Sirius asked somewhat boldly, trying to keep in stride with Hagrid.

"None of yeh business, young Mr. Black," Hagrid replied.

I looked at his crossbow and noticed that it had blood on it. I indicated it to Sirius.

"Why has your crossbow got blood on it Hagrid?" Sirius asked, sounding rather like an annoying little kid who constantly asks questions. Oh wait… he _was_ an annoying kid who constantly asked questions.

"Again, none of yeh business Mr. Black," Hagrid answered, though he tried to hide his crossbow in the folds of his long cloak.

"Hagrid, why are you trying to hide your crossbow?" Sirius asked cheekily, running alongside Hagrid to keep up.

Hagrid suddenly stopped, "Look Sirius," Hagrid said looking down at Sirius and addressing him by his first name, as if Sirius might listen if he did, "if yeh keep on askin' questions I _will _take yeh to McGonagall, now be quiet!" Hagrid said.

That shut Sirius up. But not for long.

"What's in the forest Hagrid?" Sirius asked after a while.

"Trees," Hagrid answered.

"Yes, apart from that, what else is in there?" Sirius asked.

I looked over at Sirius and gave him a dark look, what part of 'I will take you to McGonagall if you keep on asking questions' didn't he understand?!

"Bit o' grass," Hagrid answered.

"Yes, we _know _that, but what else is in there? Are there any monsters? I heard that there are werewolves in there, is that true Hagrid? Are there any werewolves?" Sirius asked.

I noticed Hagrid give a very quick glance to Remus. Why did he do that for? I thought as I looked at Remus. Remus seemed a bit pale. Maybe Hagrid knew of Remus' fear, but how? I didn't have a chance to ponder this however, as Hagrid had started talking again.

"There aren' any werewolves or monsters in the forest Mr. Black, now stop askin' fer Merlin's sake!" Hagrid said.

"Are you sure of that Hagrid?" Sirius asked. I could have kicked him for being so stupid and annoying.

"O' course I'm sure!" Hagrid answered.

"Sirius! _Shut up_!" I whispered to him.

"But how come other people say that there are werewolves in there?" Sirius asked, ignoring my pleas.

"Because other people don' know what they're ruddy well talkin' about!" Hagrid answered.

"I hope there aren't any werewolves in the Forbidden Forest, imagine that!" Peter said joining the conversation.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"Because they're scary, that's why! They bite humans! I heard that they can kill as well," Peter said.

"Tha's enough now," Hagrid said instantly, "I said no more talkin'," Hagrid said, to both Peter and Sirius. Peter instantly quietened down. Not the same could be said for Sirius though.

"So what were you shooting with your crossbow then Hagrid?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius!" I moaned desperately.

Hagrid didn't reply this time however, as we had arrived at the Forest entrance, and there, standing a bit out of the forest, was none other than Professor McGonagall herself.

As soon as we were close enough she addressed us, "What do you think you four are doing?!" Professor McGonagall asked angrily.

"We were with Hagrid," Sirius lied. I couldn't believe how blatant that lie had been, and in front of Hagrid himself, who had caught us.

"Don't lie Mr. Black! Some Slytherins came to see me earlier and told me that they had seen you four go into the Forbidden Forest on your own! I have witnesses," McGonagall said.

I looked over at Sirius and could tell he was already plotting the untimely demise of the Lestranges, Rosier and Snivellus. I slapped myself mentally. How stupid of us! We should have known that the Slytherins would have done something like that. Why had we been so stupid as to listen to them? I bet they were congratulating themselves on how smart they'd been right now.

"Er…" Hagrid said after a moments hesitation, shifting from one foot to the other, "he's righ' Professor McGonagall," Hagrid explained, my eyes lit up, I couldn't believe that Hagrid was going to cover for us! "I asked them to come into the Forest meself," Hagrid went on. Hagrid was a great guy, and handy too. Though I have no idea why he would cover up for us, especially since Sirius had been acting like an idiot before.

"You _asked_ them?" McGonagall looked at Hagrid suspiciously.

"Yeh, well, I needed a bit o' help yeh see Professor, and seein' as I didn't have enough time to go back to the castle and I seen these four 'ere I thought that they could help me," Hagrid said.

"You asked four _eleven_ year old boys to help you?" McGonagall said, looking at Hagrid in disbelief, "very irresponsible Hagrid."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry Professor, I didn't think abou' it," Hagrid said. I couldn't believe how much Hagrid was willing to cover up for us. He was getting himself into trouble.

"Please Professor, it wasn't Hagrid's fault, it was ours, we begged him to take us with him into the forest, we wouldn't leave him alone," I said, hoping McGonagall would buy it.

"I see…" said McGonagall, "is this true Hagrid?" she asked.

"…Yeh," Hagrid answered, "But you know these four, always ready fer an adventure. I know I shoulda' told yeh or Dumbledore about it, but I didn't think of it yeh see," Hagrid said.

McGonagall took a while to reply, "Okay, you're off this time you four, but next time," she looked at Hagrid particularly as she said that, "you might not be so lucky," McGonagall said, as if she knew that Hagrid was covering up for us, "and Hagrid, next time you need help do not get the students to help you! Come to the castle for Merlin's sake!"

"Yes Professor McGonagall, it won't happen again," Hagrid answered.

"Now get yourselves up to the feast at once you four, you're already late!" McGonagall said, turning and walking back towards the castle.

We all whispered our thanks and appreciation to Hagrid, and followed McGonagall.

When we arrived inside the Great Hall everyone was happily chatting and eating. I looked around at the decorations; they _were_ great. There were thousands of real live bats flying around the enchanted ceiling, huge pumpkins the size of mini houses were set all around the hall, and, there were thousands upon thousands of sweets stocked at each house table. I grinned as we made our way to the Gryffindor table to sit down.

"Hey check out Snivellus and his 'friends'," Sirius said grinning and looking over at the Slytherin table.

I followed his gaze and saw that Snivellus, Rosier and the Lestranges looked extremely put out and surprised by our sudden appearance, surely they had wanted us to get in trouble, but their plan hadn't worked. I grinned and Sirius gave them a smirk and a wave.

They glared at us, and Sirius, Remus, Peter and I sat there and laughed wildly while cramming sweets into our mouths.

Life was good…

7 7 7

**Author's Note: **Thankyou so much everyone for helping me hit 300 reviews!!! I love all the reviewers and readers and appreciate you guys so much, thanks heaps guys!!! Once again I'm very very sorry for not updating in over a month (as Janet-Lily pointed out- sorry!) but both I and my beta have been really busy. I've just finished up with school, the whole 13 years of it, and in two weeks I have my major exams so don't expect too many updates until the end of November. (!) But I will try my best!

**Gevaudan- **I definitely agree, exam-free worlds are the best! Heh. Glad you liked the levitating cutlery the owl, heh. That was fun.

**Lavender-4-Seamus- **Thanks very much! Glad you liked it, and the stupid question of the week, heh.

**Padfoot's Mate: **Thankyou very much! I don't mind how many times you say that about Peter, I really think he was a part of the marauders as well and that MPP would have treated him the same as each other if he was included on the map. Glad you loved the chapter!

**This Parrot has ceased to be: **Yes that was definitely adequate! Thankyou very much and thanks for your hope about my exams! I did do well in most of my subjects.

**Kady Rilla Wholi: **Thanks! That's okay, computers can be annoying. Thanks very much, I really appreciate it. I will try to check out your stories, but I'm pretty busy at the moment.

**Mydream: **Thanks, glad you liked it.

**Beansie: **Heh. Glad you liked their first successful prank on the whole school. I wish that J.K would write a MWPP story as well, that would be really great, but I don't think she will either.

**Harry the potter: **Thanks very much!

**Mars explorer: **Heh. Glad you love it! Don't die!

**Aqua seafoam shame: **Thankyou, glad you liked it!

**Goldilocks31890: **Thanks! Glad you liked it! Yes it was Lancelot, he was great in the movie, and hot. Heh.

**Hannanora-Potter: **Hehe. That was a very long review! You crack me up. Hehe. I'm glad you liked the chapter. It's fun writing Dumbledore enjoying the pranks. I'm glad I can inspire babbling and waffling, heh, I don't mind at all. Heh, I inspired you to have a competition with yourself as well? Heh. Cool. Of course I do not condemn your craziness, I encourage it! We can be crazy together, it suits me, I am pretty crazy sometimes. Heheh. Anyway, glad you love the story and that I can inspire all sorts of waffling on your part! Yay! Hehe! Tata!

**Koriaena: **Heh, yes Peter is very creative, hehe. I think I must take the blame for that though, I was trying to think for ages, 'now, what rhymes with 'whinge'?', and I could not think of anything at all except for tinge, singe, binge, fringe, and the only one that fitted or I could make something out of was tinge, so I put that in, but it does sound like something Peter would come up with. Heh.

**Elvenwolf: **Wow. Long review. Not that that's a bad thing. A good thing in fact. Thanks very very much for your comments, I really do appreciate them very much! And glad to hear about subliminal messages and the blinky green light on your stereo, maybe you should cover it or move it, heh, that way it might not be so distracting but then again, it might be. Who knows? That is a great idea for a prank, and very funny, and I can see MWPP doing something like that as well, Sirius would want to bewitch it to show something rude hehe. Anyway, thanks again for your review!

**Padfoot-911: **Heh, glad you liked that eating off the table part, I can just imagine Sirius doing it too, because he'd eat it anyway and because he'd want to annoy Remus, they're just mucking with each other though, nothing serious. Heh. Thanks again!

**Rappy28: **Welcome back! Glad you liked the recent chapters! I wish we could see more of MWPP in the books as well, J.K said that she'd tell us everything about them so that she wouldn't need to write a book about the marauders, so hopefully she gives us everything!

**Super Shayde: **Thanks very very much! I'm glad you like it! Yay! Glad you love the changing POV's, I think it's good to have everyone's view on things. Thanks very much again, it's much appreciated!!

**TruLys: **Wow! Thank you very much! I really appreciate that! J

**JanetLily: **Guilty look I know, I'm sorry! But as I said I've been really busy! I hope this makes up for it! Sorry again!


	20. Destiny

**Year: 1971 (still) 1st Year**

**Sirius' Story: **

**_Quote of the Day: _**_Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail._

It was a clear Saturday morning, the day after the Hallowe'en feast, and I was sitting with Remus, James and Peter eating breakfast in the Great Hall. The Hallowe'en feast had been great, and afterwards we had crammed sweets and candy into our pockets for later, and after eating a whole load of candy and sweets in the dorm room we went happily to sleep.

Well, I know I did after a while, I'm not too sure about James, Remus and Peter though, they were making considerably strange noises last night before I went to sleep.

I was also happy to note that the Slytherins' plan to get us in trouble had not worked because Hagrid the good bloke covered up for us. We owed him. James, Peter and Remus did not have the appetite for any breakfast after so many sweets last night but I, being the famous eating machine, was able to eat two toasts with egg and bacon, _and _even some kippers. I was quite proud of myself actually. After all, I was a growing boy. I found it quite shameful that James, Peter and Remus couldn't eat any breakfast actually. But I would whip them into shape. I looked around the hall, there weren't many people present, in fact, it was pretty much empty, I think everyone overate last night and got sick. Serves them right for eating so much when they could have given it to me instead. Greedy gits.

"Uggh, I don't know how you can eat still Sirius," Remus said, looking at the food on the table with disdain. I looked over at Remus, who, along with James and Peter, looked considerably sick this morning.

"I'm a growing boy that's why," I replied, taking a bite of my toast. That was my excuse for whenever I ate a lot of food in a certain period of time.

"No, you're a pig, that's why," James said grinning. I hit him playfully over the head.

"Just because you can't even eat your fill doesn't mean you have to insult me," I replied.

"A good pig eats anything," Remus said. James and Peter laughed.

"Remind me again why you came down to breakfast?" I asked the three sick boys sitting around me.

"Because you practically pulled us out of our warm beds, while we were sick, mind you, and dragged us down here in our pyjamas, saying that you wanted some company and that we could do something afterwards," Remus reminded me wryly, "_and_ you threatened us with a curse," Remus added.

"Oh, yeah, I remember now," I replied grinning at them.

"I'm sure you do," James said darkly, "you don't even know any curses I'll bet. The only reason we're down here is because we're such good friends and you need some protection from the Slytherins."

I was about to retort when Remus cut over me, "Although I'm not sure how much I'd care right now if the Slytherins did anything to you," he said grinning.

"Hey I'm doing you a favour, you know. You should feel privileged that you get to spend the morning with me instead of laying in bed feeling sorry for yourselves." I said audaciously.

"Speaking of beds, can we go back to _ours_ now?" Peter asked, yawning. 

"No, I _told_ you, I need some company, we can do something when I'm finished breakfast," I replied.

"Yes your Highness," Remus sighed, "hey, maybe we could go visit Hagrid or something, after all, he did help us get out of trouble," Remus said.

But before I had a chance to reply the daily mail owls came swooping in, I glanced up at them submissively, knowing that I wouldn't be receiving a letter, when all of a sudden an owl came swooping down to land on the table spilling my orange juice. The owl looked strangely familiar.

"Dumb owl!" I swatted it away, thinking it must be a letter for one of the others.

"Sirius, it's for you," James said, looking at the envelope of the letter.

"What?" I asked stupidly, James handed me the letter and the owl flew off.

I opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, it was the shortest letter I'd ever received, it read:

_Sirius, _

_Go to the__ Owlery__ after breakfast. Make sure you come **alone**._

"Who's that from?" James asked curiously, reading over the letter.

"No idea," I answered, turning the envelope over to see if there was a name on the back, I found it blank.

"I wonder who could have sent it to me," I wondered aloud.

"Maybe it's from a teacher or something," Peter suggested, looking at the letter also. 

"Don't be stupid, if a teacher wanted to see me they would have told me, not sent a letter. No… it's not from a teacher," I said thoughtfully.

"Ooh, maybe it's from a girl or something, she might've wanted to see you _privately_," James sniggered wildly.

"Yeah right James," I said.

"So are we allowed to come then?" Peter asked.

"No."

"What?! Why not?" James asked.

"Because it says to come _alone_," I said.

"So what?" Remus said.

"So, I'm going _alone_. That is: without you guys."

"No you're not! You dragged us all the way down here in our pyjamas when we were sick, wanting to do something afterwards and now you want to go off somewhere by yourself?!" James said, annoyed.

"Yeah, that's the general idea," I replied.

"Sirius! We want to come! You can't leave us now you git, need I remind you that you threatened to curse us?" Remus complained.

"Oh quit your complaining, look, I want you guys to come but it says specifically to come alone, I won't take long," I replied.

"But what if it's a trap, you know, someone might've wanted to lure you to the Owlery and then kidnap you," Remus said wildly.

"Ah, we mustn't get our hopes up yet Remus," James said.

I punched James on the shoulder playfully, "Shut up Pothead. You guys aren't coming and that's final."

"Your so impossible Black," James said.

"So are you Potter," I said. James only referred to me when he was irritated with me or when he wanted to annoy me.

"Right, I'm finished," I said looking at my now clean plate.

"About time," Remus said.

I stood up; James, Remus and Peter did as well.

"I'm going back to bed," Peter announced, leaving for the exit.

"Bye!" I said happily.

Remus and James followed Peter, "Don't wake us up again," James said warningly.

"I will," I replied brightly.

"You do and you'll have something to show for it," James said as he walked out the door with Remus. 

I made my way to the exit and made my way up to the Owlery. I wondered who the letter was from I wondered as I walked along the corridors to the Owlery. I was sure getting curious and excited, I wanted to know who had sent this letter to me so mysteriously. Could it have been a girl as James had suggested? Nah, I thought, it was way too early to become involved with girls. All most of them ever did was giggle and make stupid comments and write notes in class.

Once I got nearer to the Owlery door I could hear voices coming from inside. The voices sounded familiar. _Too_ familiar.

I opened the door slowly and felt my heart sink right to the pit of my stomach- if that's possible. The people inside stopped talking immediately. Standing there, looking arrogant, were (to my disgust and disbelief) Bellatrix and Narcissa.

"What are you doing here?" I asked instantly, glaring at them.

"We want to talk to you," said Bellatrix coldly.

"What about?" I asked, still glaring. The Owlery door snapped shut behind me.

"About you-" Narcissa said.

"What about me?" I interrupted.

"-And your 'friends'," she finished.

"I'm going," I said instantly, turning around. I knew what was coming. And I didn't want to talk to my stupid stuck-up cousins about anything. Why couldn't they just mind their own business?

"You're not going anywhere." Bellatrix rounded on me.

"Going to stop me are you?" I sneered.

"Sirius, stay there, otherwise I'll write to your mother," Narcissa said threateningly.

"What's she going to do about it?" I asked derisively.

"Whatever she wants to," Bellatrix said coldly. I could tell that she didn't want to be here anymore then I did.

"You're going to write to Cyrilla anyway," I said, glaring at both of them.

Narcissa started talking, "Look Sirius, we're over what you did to us on the train. We only want what's in your best interests, okay." I snorted, as if, "And we don't think that you hanging around that Potter and Lupin and measly Pettigrew is a good idea. They're no good for you-"

"What the hell would you know about what's good for me?" I retorted. They had no right to talk to me about this kind of stuff! And as if they would only want what was in _my _best interests! Narcissa was just acting; my mother had put her up to all this I'll bet.

"Listen, they'll use you, they'll all use you. Now Bellatrix and I could introduce you to a couple of Slytherins in your year, they're your kind of people Sirius, not Gryffindors, they're traitors, we know you think that you want nothing to do with us but really you know that you need us," Narcissa said, "Severus Snape would be happy to be your friend-"

"_Snivellus _is a slimy idiot!" I said bitterly.

"Well maybe not Snape, but there are lots of other Slytherins that would be happy to be your friend. Sirius, you're a _pure-blood_, just because you were sorted into Gryffindor doesn't mean you're one of them, you belong with your own family Sirius, and that family is Slytherin-"

"My _family_ is James, Remus and Peter!" I seethed.

"No, they're not, they're just _pretending _to be, the Gryffindors aren't like us Sirius, they don't understand what it is to be pure-blood, you don't belong in with Gryffindors, you belong in Slytherin with us-"

"You're right, Gryffindors aren't like _you, _they're not skiving, slimy, stuck-up idiots-" Bellatrix cut me off.

"Look you slime ball, you're meant to be a Slytherin and that's that!" She screeched.

"I am not!" I said brusquely.

"Bella, _please_," Narcissa pleaded, "Sirius, you're a full born pure-blood, you belong in Slytherin, even though you're a Gryffindor you can still be with us, you can make Slytherin friends. Forget about those Gryffindors, they aren't like you, they'll never understand you, they're traitors, they'll abandon you-"

"They won't abandon me!" I said, seething.

"They will Sirius! They don't know you! They don't like pure-bloods, the dirty scum in Gryffindor are nothing compared to us! They hate you! You think they want to be your friend? You think they'll accept you? Let me tell you something, they won't! We know about the older Gryffindors, we heard them talking, they all hate you! So do Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew and anyone else you think has befriended you! It's an act! They'll pretend to be your friends! They'll use you until you have nothing left! They aren't your real friends! If you make friends with Slytherins they'll be your true friends forever, they won't use you! They-"

I couldn't take anymore. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do! I am _nothing _like you two! Nothing! And I never want to be! I may be a pure-blood but I can tell right from wrong!" I was yelling now, they made me so angry, "And you're not right! I don't want to be in Slytherin! I don't want to make Slytherin friends! Why can't you just understand that? I will never have anything to do with the Slytherins! Or you! I hate you both! And I hate that you've both conformed! You are both blind to everything! Being pure-blood means nothing! We're no different to muggle-borns! Just because we're pure-bloods it doesn't mean that we're superior, or royal, or any better then anyone else! It means nothing at all! Everyone is the same! Why can't you just see that? You're both stupid idiots! You don't know what you want! You have no backbone!You're a bunch of stupid stuck-up _bitches_," I finished savagely.

Before I knew what was happening Bellatrix had walked up to me, drew her hand up, and slapped me right in the face. I was shocked.

"_You stupid_ _bitch!" _I said maliciously once I had recovered.

"Don't ever call us that again," Bellatrix said malevolently. Everything about Bellatrix reminded me constantly of my mother Cyrilla, they were almost exactly the same in their personality, the way they acted, and even their appearance, I wouldn't have been surprised if she was my mother's daughter and not my aunt's, but then again, my mother and her sister were very much alike. And all of them were bitches.

"Piss off! Don't _ever_ touch me again! Don't talk to me ever again," I spat.

I turned and pulled the door open violently and stormed through it, I slammed it with a loud bang.

I stormed down the stairs two at a time. Suddenly I heard the door of the Owlery open somewhere behind me.

"You can't escape your destiny Sirius! Remember that!" Narcissa yelled from the doorway.

I ignored her and kept on going.

My head was reeling. How dare they try and tell me things like that! How dare they! I was furious. Before I knew what I was doing I started running, I didn't know where to, I just wanted to get away from here. I wanted to be alone. I ran out into the grounds, dazzling sunlight hit me in the face, the grounds were pretty much empty; everyone was probably in the courtyard or something, without a care in the world. I slowed down to a walking pace and before I knew it I was at the edge of the lake. I sat on the shore, pulled of my socks and shoes and dipped my feet in the cool water.

I was so angry I could barely control it; I grabbed some rocks and started pelting them into the lake in a fury. I couldn't believe Bellatrix and Narcissa's nerve! How dare they try and make me conform! I never wanted to be like them, ever. If I had ever had any family regard for them before this it had all disintegrated in that moment. No doubt it was on my mother's and father's orders that Bellatrix and Narcissa had approached me. I hated them all and their injudicious ways, I wish I had been born into a whole different family altogether.

I was so sick of people trying to talk me into becoming the pure-blood maniac that was so expected of me, my mother and father, Bellatrix, Narcissa, and even Crevan had had a go at me and lectured me about me being in Gryffindor and making Gryffindor friends. Why couldn't they just leave me be and let me make my own damn decisions? _Why_?

And then I realized that they would never leave me be, they would never cease to try and make me become one of them, never.

Unless I did something so outrageous that they'd disown me as one of the Blacks, that they'd wipe me off the tapestry and kick me out of the family. But I didn't want to do anything _that_ extreme yet. I still had to have somewhere to go over the summer, even if it was back to the dreaded old Grimmauld Place.

I was distraught. I didn't know which way to go or what to do. Should I give in to my family after all and be their precious little pure-blood Black son that they so wanted me to be? Should I earn my rightful place in the Black legacy once again? Or should I keep on going against their ideals and rebel fully? What the hell was I to do?

Then I thought of Dumbledore's words to me on the first day when I had decided to stay in Gryffindor and not Slytherin…

_"I'm afraid though Sirius, that you've taken the hard road. Indeed, there inevitably will be times when you come to regret the choice that you made here today, but those times will pass"…_

_There will be times when I come to regret that choice_. Did I regret it? Did I regret it now? That I had so brashly chosen Gryffindor above Slytherin- a part of my own family's legacy? Did I regret that?

I couldn't have told you then whether I did or not, but I could have told you that a part of me took satisfaction in knowing that I had rebelled against my family, _and_ that they were furious about it.

In fact, I thought it to be extremely amusing and savagely satisfying that I, Sirius Black, the ungrateful little brat and shame of my mother's flesh, had got the better of my own mother- and there was nothing that she, or any of them, could do about it.

I sat there for a long while, perhaps hours, pelting rocks into the lake, thinking on all of this.

And even in all my anger about the whole ordeal, a small thought crept over me, what if Narcissa and Bellatrix were in some small way, horribly right? What if my friends were just using me? What if they didn't _really _want to be my friends? Maybe they really were using me…

This thought gnawed at me from the inside, and as much as I hoped it not to be true, I thought that it could have been plausible. (Of course later I had realized what an idiot I had been back then to think such things about my friends)

I don't know for how long I sat there pelting rocks into the lake and mulling over these fears and what had just happened, but after a while a voice addressed me.

"You know," I stopped my arm in mid-throw, the voice continued, "you could poke the giant squid's eye out the way you're going Sirius."

It was Remus.

I dropped the rock I was holding and my arm fell limply to my side, I turned around, Remus was standing there, looking down at me calmly with the hint of a smile. It seemed like hours ago that I had dragged Remus, James and Peter out of bed, hours ago that I had been happily talking with my friends and planning what I would do for the day.

"What do you want Remus?" I asked somewhat icily before turning back around. I started throwing rocks into the lake again, but this time less violently.

"Nothing, I was just walking," he said simply, "of course I can keep walking if you want."

"I don't care," I said, still in a temper.

I heard his footsteps move away, and then suddenly he was sitting down beside me and looking out at the shimmering lake.

"You know I couldn't get back to sleep after you woke us up, you idiot," Remus said with a smile, after I didn't reply he said, "So I take it that no one tried to kidnap you then?" Remus asked softly.

I kept throwing rocks into the lake, not looking at him I answered, "far from it."

"Want to talk about it?" he asked.

"No," I snapped.

Remus picked up a rock and threw it into the lake; it didn't go very far. He kept on throwing them.

After a while I snorted at him, "You're hopeless."

He laughed and threw another one in, which didn't go any further than his previous attempts.

"Is that the best you can do?" I asked teasingly.

"Shut up," he said playfully.

"Look, you have to throw like this," I demonstrated, "put some more elbow-grease into it," I said.

He tried my version of throwing, and the rock went a little further than any of his others did.

"That's better," I said, soon enjoying Remus' company, and most of my fears about my friends using me had all but gone, indeed if they were using me they made for very good actors.

Soon, I was enjoying myself a little more and my encounter with Bellatrix and Narcissa was put away into the deepest crevices of my mind. That's what I liked about Remus Lupin, he didn't question me when I didn't want to talk about something, he left me alone and he didn't constantly nag and nag about it like James, and if I did want to tell him something he'd listen and offer a solution, unlike Peter. And when I was with him he made me forget about my troubles or he helped me sort it out.

"I bet you can't skim one," I said, picking up a thin rock and skimming it across the surface of the lake skillfully.

Without a word Remus picked up a rock and skimmed it across the lake, it skimmed across the water perfectly and went even further then my attempt.

"Okay so you can skim a rock, but you still throw like a girl."

"Bite me Sirius," Remus joked.

"Remus?" I asked after a while, turning my head to look at him.

"Hmm?"

"Do you believe in destiny?" I asked seriously.

He looked at me, "yes," he said slowly.

"Do you think that you can't escape your own?" I asked, thinking on what Narcissa had said earlier… _"You can't escape your destiny Sirius!"…_

"That depends," he answered, looking up into the blue depths of the sky.

"On what?" I asked turning back to look at the glimmering lake again.

"On whether you want to or not," he said simply.

_On whether you want to or not. _

And how undeniably correct on that statement he was.

7 7 7

**Author's Notes: **Woot, woot for Sirius! Don't you just love Sirius? Anyway, I think it's been a while since Sirius narrated, so I hope you enjoyed it. Who doesn't love Sirius? Eh. Anyway, this will be the last update for a while, I have exams on Monday and they are spread out over about a month, so I'm sorry but I won't have much time for anything else. But I_ did _leave you with a 'Sirius' Story', what more could you want? Eheh. I will try to update when I can. And after this I will try to update more regularly. (Sighs. Maybe I shouldn't have started a major story in my last year of high school. Oops).

I also have a **question **to ask all of you, the readers/reviewers, and want you all to answer it, even if you haven't reviewed before and only read. Well, seeing as just the first year is taking rather long and a fair amount of chapters, I was wondering, should I break up the whole story into seven different stories, like a year per a story. Like the HP books, where Philosopher's Stone is first year, Chamber of Secrets is 2nd and so on. I was thinking of doing that but I don't really know. Which is why I want to know what you guys would prefer. It would flow more easier probably if it was in one whole story. I don't know. Opinions/comments/thoughts welcome!

Thanks all who reviewed! I appreciate it more than you know!

**Janet Lily: **Heh. Well I hoped you liked that it was longer. About the dog, it _was _Fang, and he didn't disappear with a crack. I'll explain, Remus, James, Peter and Sirius were edging closer to see what Fang was and then, just as Remus got a glance at him and seen that it was Fang, a couple of seconds after he saw it was Fang he stepped on a twig which made a loud crack and so Fang (being the scaredy cat, well, dog that he is) disappeared. So the crack was Remus stepping on a twig not a disapparating crack. Hope that cleared things up for you.

**Elvengirl9: **Well that's too bad, but look on the bright side, you got to read two chapters in one go instead of one! I love Sirius, and he is very funny, that's what I love about him. I'm glad you liked the two chapters! Thanks very much!

**Paddfoot-911: **Glad you liked the chapter, yes I did have a good reason for not updating! Heh. Yes, Sirius is ever-so-annoying, but that's what we all love about him, isn't it? J

**Tru-Lys: **Heh. In shock you should be. Eheh. At least I updated though! Well I didn't get the idea from The Midnight Duel chapter, actually the idea came from my beta, we were discussing things I could write about and trying to think of a reason why the four would go into the forest and she came up with a few ideas so I ran with them, and that's how the chapter came about.

**Koriaena: **Heh. Yes, they _should _know better, but you know Sirius and James, always out to prove themselves. They still have that lesson to learn.

**This parrot has ceased to be: **Hi, glad you liked it! I like that you like the way I work within the clichés, sometimes its hard to find other things to write about besides the normal clichés so I'm glad you appreciate it! Thank you very much for your comments, I do appreciate them! J

**Padfoot's Mate: **Yep, it is a scary story, but of course it's not true, it's just the Slytherins trying to scare people (not that they _need _to try, they do a pretty good job of it anyway, heh), so it's not true. _Or is it_? Dun dun dun… Eheh. Glad you liked Hagrid, someone else found the 'trees' part funny as well. Yay!

**Esther: **Thank you very much for that comment! I really appreciate it. And I'm glad you like the story. Glad you liked the part about Dumbledore's socks, heh, I had fun writing it. Was this update soon enough? I guess not. But I would be very grateful/delighted/pleased/happy if you did review every chapter. J

**Aqua seafoam shame: **Thanks, glad you liked it. Well, you're right, I'm doing all seven years, or at least I hope to, (I have a feeling that if I stop now I'll have people chasing me with pitchforks), so yes, it will be pretty damn long. But some years will be longer than others because more happens.

**Cine (loves Sirius): **Thanks very very much! I'm glad you like it!

**Erica: **Thanks! I'm really glad you like it. And that you like about how everyone writes about the other. Keep reading!


	21. Hidden Courage

**Disclaimer: **Everything you recognize is property of J.K Rowling Warner Bros, Scholastic and whoever else owns it.

**Author's Notes:** Well here is the next chapter, sorry its taken so long, please read and review!

**Dedications: **This chapter is dedicated to **Ela / Padfoot's Mate** for helping me out when I needed it; she is the only reason why I could finally update! So a huge thanks goes to you, thank you very much for your help with the chapter Padfoot's Mate, I really do appreciate it very much!

* * *

**Year 1971, 1st Year**

**Remus Rants:**

**_Quote of the Day:_**_ 'Every one of us has courage somewhere deep inside, we only have to find it… _

The first year went by so fast that what I remember now are only a couple of specific events in a blur of all the years I spent at Hogwarts.

Inevitably, Hogwarts turned out to be the best years of my life.

Despite my transformations, I was having the best time that I'd ever had.

Sirius, James and Peter were the best friends a person could want and when I was with them I almost felt entirely free of my condition. My friends had a way of making me forget about the werewolf and for the first time in my life I felt like I belongedsomewhere.

Under the guidance of friendship I was transforming in more ways than one, I wasn't the little pale boy who was scared of his own shadow anymore; I was slowly becoming _Remus_ John Lupin, my own person, and not subjected to the wolf inside me all the time. I was growing into the boy that I had always longed to be, the boy who would stare at the beauty of the stars every night and cherish the fact that they were there, the boy who laughed when he was surrounded by his friends, the boy who suggested and helped with pranks, the boy who loved to learn and fill his mind with wonderful knowledge, the boy who lived life and cherished friendship, and most of all, the boy who I had been before I had been bitten.

It almost felt as if I'd never been bitten at all and the horrible nightmare that took place within my body every month was just a dream. But of course, there came the painful reminder every month that I wasn't living a dream life and my condition was as strong as it ever was, raging inside me. It was on the nights of the full moon when I mourned not being with my friends the most. But I found myself a little more hopeful each month with my growing friendship.

It was that day of the month again on a wet day in November and I was cherishing the last moments I would have before the moon rose and the world would go dark and the wolf had ultimate control and power.

I had been troubled a bit of late; I was finding it harder and harder each month to lie to my friends. Indeed, it wasn't just the lying part I hated; it was the actual thinking up of a lie that I hated as well. So far I had told them my mum was really sick, and that my aunty had died, and this time I had no idea what I would tell them.

I was pondering exactly this in the middle of a History of Magic lesson when suddenly a voice broke into my thoughts.

"Hey Remus, want to do a prank tonight?" Sirius asked from beside me, leaning sideways in his chair to talk to me "Me, James and Pete are planning one."

I looked over at Sirius. I wished that I could have said yes to the happy, lively boy sitting next to me, but I had to tell him no. No I can't because I'm going to turn into a hideous werewolf tonight, Sirius.

I wondered how _that _would go down.

"Wish I could," I replied, I tried to think of an explanation that Sirius might believe. Sirius was especially hard to convince, and he always asked questions. "But I have to visit my dad in hospital, he's really sick," I said, instantly regretting it. Plus I wasn't the world's best liar. Sometimes it surprised even me that Sirius, James and Peter could be fooled by my worst lies.

"Oh," was all he said, he sat back in his chair, pondered for a moment, and then, as if he had come to a conclusion, leaned sideways again to talk to me, "What's the matter with your old man, if you don't mind me asking?" Sirius asked. By now Peter and James were also listening in.

"Oh," I had been expecting this, but that didn't mean I was anymore prepared for it, "Er- he, he was bitten by a deadly snake and had to be rushed to hospital."

Yep. That would definitely qualify in my top ten list of The Stupidest And Most _Un_believable Lies Ever Told.

"That's no good," Peter said. Peter always seemed to buy my lies, no matter how bad they were.

"I think he should be all right," I replied.

"That's good then," James said. Sirius just looked at me. The way he does when he's thinking hard. It feels like sometimes when he looks at me he can see right through me; see what I'm thinking. It's really unnerving sometimes. I looked away from him.

A couple of minutes later a note landed on my table, it was from Sirius.

_So, what sort of snake was this, that bit your dad? – Sirius_

Sharp, was Sirius Black. Never accepted one answer.

That's one of the things that really worried me about Sirius. He's very clever and I knew that half of my lies never slipped by him, but he accepted them nonetheless.

_They didn't **tell** me what type it was Sirius _

I wrote back.

_Oh. That's too bad then. I know some spells for snakebites, I should know after all; my family is filled with serpents. Ho ho. _

I laughed and shook my head, Sirius and his lame sense of humour.

_Remind me to laugh next time. That was so lame Sirius. _

I wrote back, soon forgetting exactly why we started writing notes in the first place.

_Hey! At least I tried. I don't see you making any jokes. We could all use one, what with Binns droning on. What have we got next?_

"Defence Against the Dark Arts." I told Sirius.

"Finally! A class where we might be able to _do _something, and learn something valuable," Sirius said.

"You learning something valuable Sirius?" James questioned, arching an eyebrow "I highly doubt it." I joined in with Peter and laughed.

"Watch what you say Potter, the next spell we learn might be how to turn one's nose into a pumpkin," Sirius said.

"I've already learnt that one," James replied.

"Have not," Sirius retorted.

"I have! I'll show you if you really want."

But, fortunately, (or unfortunately, whichever way you look at it, the idea of Sirius sporting a pumpkin nose _was_ wickedly amusing) the signal went for the next class and James didn't have a chance to sport his so-called spell that would turn one's nose into a pumpkin.

Unfortunately.

As we were walking to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom Sirius walked alongside me and tried to steer the conversation towards my 'sick' father.

"So, you know, how long do you reckon you'll be visiting your dad?" Sirius asked casually, glancing sidelong at me.

"Sirius, I have no idea! Does it _look _like I can predict the future to you?!" I said a little icily, getting fed up with his constant questioning.

"Right." Sirius replied, "right." He repeated again. "I… I just wanted to know, you know. But if you don't want to tell me…"

"No, I _don't_ want to tell you! So stop bloody asking!" I snapped.

Sirius looked at me surprised for a moment, then he dropped back to talk to James.

I felt bad that I had talked to Sirius like that but I couldn't apologise now. I knew I had been a little harsh to him but I was getting irritated with his questions.

"All right boys?" Professor Bones asked when we entered the classroom. We murmured a reply.

"All right Remus?" Professor Bones asked, noticing that I was a little distracted. I nodded quietly before sitting down at a desk next to Peter. Professor Bones always referred to us by our first names; I kind of appreciated him for that, it was a nice change from the usual formal 'Mr. Lupin' that the other Professors called me.

When the rest of the class had taken their seats Professor Bones began talking again, "Today, we'll be learning about basic dark creatures, these include Griffins, Hippogriffs and Graphorns. I want you to separate into pairs and turn to Chapter Twelve on Basic Dark Creatures page 137, where you will find information on these creatures, each of the pairs will summarize information on one creature and then we will do a little exercise. I will be seeing each pair separately to tell you which dark creature you are to research."

After he had finished talking the class formed into pairs. I turned to Peter, expecting to pair with him, as we always did in Defence classes, but instead James stood where Peter had been seconds before, and Peter, surprisingly, was pairing with Sirius. I looked at Peter in question but he just smiled back at me.

"Mind if I go with you?" James asked, mussing up his hair. I shrugged in answer and opened my book to page 137.

"Right boys, your creature is the Acromantula," Professor Bones said to us, whilst writing something down on a piece of parchment.

"So, Remus…" James started talking the instant Professor Bones had moved away, "how's school going?"

I looked at James strangely. How was school going? Even I could have thought of better conversation starter than that. I mean, I had basically every class with him so he must have a fair idea. But then again, this _is_ James Potter we're talking about here.

One could never tell.

James grinned at me, "Sorry, I was just trying to make conversation… and I'm failing miserably obviously... Look, you know that the only reason Sirius asks all those questions is because he's a curious little git, and well, he's concerned as well… so am I."

I took a while to reply, "I know James. But it's just… it gets annoying. I mean, he just asks too many things, and I get sick of it, I know he means well…"

"Yeah, Sirius can get annoying, but that's his job really," James grinned at me. I smiled a little. "But really, Remus, it's hard to tell what's going on with you. You never tell us much…"

That was true enough; I'd never really opened up to any of them. Partly this was because of my condition; I felt that if I told them too much then they might find out about me and then they'd never be my friends.

"What is there to tell?"

"Well, anything, whatever you feel like, you know we'll always listen. You listen to us whenever we need to rant so it's only fair if we return the favour. You can tell us whatever you feel like." James replied.

If only I could. Oh how much they didn't know.

And wouldn't want to know.

"Thanks a lot James. I appreciate it." I replied genuinely, looking at him.

"Well, you know, that's what friends are for Remus." James grinned back.

It was really the first time I'd ever connected with James Potter in such a way. Sure, we had talked and did things together before, but he always seemed a little more distant to me than Sirius and Peter did. I talked and connected with Peter and Sirius more than I've ever done so with James, and seeing as James and Sirius were getting along so well, James and I had never really gotten a chance to develop our own friendship yet. Until now. Now, as James had said those words to me I realized that James and I did have a connection of sorts. Even if it felt like we had nothing in common. We were starting to build up a friendship that would last through our Hogwarts years and beyond.

"Yeah. I know…"

"So, you got anything to get off your chest then?" James asked.

"No, not at the moment…" I lied. I didn't want to elaborate on the lie I had told about my dad being in hospital.

"Come on Remus. You must have _something_. What's annoying you? You can't tell me that everything's fine. What about Sirius? He's annoying." James joked.

I half-laughed. "I already told you about Sirius."

"Well, what about… say, school… um… girls?"

I raised my eyebrow at James. Girls? I'd never even thought about girls. I was, after all, only young, and they didn't particularly interest me at the moment, but some of them were good to have as friends.

James grinned at me sheepishly, "Guess not then. Oh, I know. What about Crevan? He's a right git to you,"

"True. I just wish I were better at Potions… Now that's something I hate. Potions. I mean, what's the point of the stupid subject anyway? I'm no good at it anyway, and Crevan breathing down my neck just makes it worse…" Once I started talking I found that I _did _need to get things off my chest, "He doesn't even bother you and Peter, but if it's me, then everything's wrong. He's a stupid git. And have you seen the stuff he wears? I mean, he looks like he bought his clothes in an antique shop for Merlin's sake! He's just ridiculous; I can understand why Sirius doesn't like him!" I finished.

James looked at me, surprised, "Wow… You really hate Crevan, don't you?" he asked. I nodded sheepishly. "See how good it makes you feel to get things off your chest?"

I grinned and nodded. In a way, it _did _make me feel a little better. If only I could tell him more.

But _that_ was too much of a risk.

"All right class," Professor Bones was standing at the front of the classroom, "That should have been ample time to learn about your creature."

The Acromantula! I had forgotten all about what we were meant to be doing! I looked at James, who was just smiling like an idiot.

"James!" I groaned, "Why didn't you tell me to shut up? Now we know nothing about that stupid spider thing!"

"Don't worry about it Remus. Getting things off your chest is more important than a stupid spider we'll never encounter anyway."

He did have a point.

"Right then," Professor Bones was still talking, "I have a little exercise that should be fun. First I will ask a pair to come out the front, and then you will state a fact about your creature, for example, things like 'I live mainly in Japan', and whoever guesses your creature gets a prize. Mind, don't make your facts _too _obvious, we want to learn something about it first, so no 'I have eight legs' or anything like that."

"Bugger!" James whispered.

"Right then, Remus and James, you two first," Professor Bones indicated to us. I groaned. What the heck did I know about Acromantulas? And what was worse, I hated getting up in front of the class. Though it wasn't so bad getting up with James.

We stood up and made our way to the front of the class.

"All right, you can take turns in stating facts if you like," Professor Bones said, leaning against his desk.

"Er…" James said, "Um, I am enormous…"

"Too right!" Sirius said, smirking. The class started laughing. James glared at Sirius then poked his tongue out at him.

"Your turn Remus." Professor Bones said.

"Right, um, I'm black," I said.

"And hairy," James added.

"A werewolf!" Sirius yelled. I felt myself paling.

"Werewolves aren't black, Sirius." James said.

"They could be!" Sirius retorted.

"It's not a werewolf Mr. Black. Where do you live?" Professor Bones asked James and I, with an arched eyebrow. He knew that we had not done the research.

"Um…" Where the heck did Acromantulas live? "In a hole in the ground," I guessed.

"Okay boys, you can sit down now," I breathed a sigh of relief. James and I made our way back to our seats.

"Good job," Sirius joked as we sat down.

"The _Acromantula,_" Professor Bones said, staring pointedly at James and I, while pacing the front of the classroom, "In fact, is commonly found, write this down please, in dense forests and jungles. It is a monstrous eight eyed spider. It originated in Borneo jungles. The Acromantula is capable of human speech. It is carnivorous and prefers large prey. It is in the top category of the Ministry of Magic classification, having five crosses, which means it's a known wizard killer and impossible to domesticate. I want you all to write down some other facts about the Acromantula for Monday please." Professor Bones said. "All right, now it's Sirius' and Peter's turn. Up you get boys."

Sirius and Peter stood up and made their way to the front.

"Right, I have a Ministry of Magic classification of three crosses," Sirius said.

"I would too if I looked like you," James said, grinning at Sirius.

"Shut up Potter." Sirius said.

"Peter, a fact if you please," Professor Bones cut in.

"I'm native to Europe,"

"A Glumbumble?" Lily Evans suggested.

"Nope, sorry my pretty," Sirius replied. Lily glowered at Sirius. "I can fly."

"You _wish_ you could," James said.

"A fwooper?" Alexandra, a Gryffindor, suggested.

"Wrong again," Sirius said in a weird accent, winking at her.

"I'm cross between a horse and an eagle," Peter said.

I knew the answer.

"A Hippogriff!" Lily said.

"Right you are." Sirius said.

Professor Bones threw her a sugar quill, "Very good Lily. All right, thanks for that boys. Hippogriffs can be tamed by wizards. When approaching a Hippogriff one should always maintain eye contact and try not to blink, first you have to bow, which shows good intentions, and if it bows back it is safe to walk closer. But if it doesn't you should back away." Professor Bones said whilst the class scribbled it down. "All right, Lily and Alexandra, you're up."

Lily and Alex stood up and walked to the front of the class.

"Okay, I have a Ministry of Magic classification of four crosses, which means I am dangerous…" Lily said.

"You're not _that_ scary Evans," James said grinning. Sirius laughed. Lily glared at James.

"I originated in Greece," Alexandra said.

"Athens," Sirius snorted. The girls rolled their eyes. The class laughed.

"Athens isn't a creature, it's a city." Lily said disdainfully.

"All right. I am often employed by wizards to guard treasure," Alexandra said.

"A sphinx!" Aidan Yates, a Ravenclaw boy, said.

"No. I feed on raw meat," Lily said.

"Do you?" James replied unbelievingly.

"Shut _up_ Potter!" Lily said.

"I have the head of a giant eagle." Alexandra said.

"A Griffin!" Sirius yelled. Alexandra nodded. Professor Bones threw a Sugar Quill at Sirius. "Woohoo!" he cried, "Thanks Sir!"

"All right, very good Sirius," Professor Bones said, "You may sit down now girls."

For the rest of the lesson more pairs got up and we tried to guess what creature they were talking about. James and Sirius, of course, couldn't help themselves in making stupid comments.

Just as the last pair were finishing up the signal for the end of class went. I was regretful because the class had been so enjoyable and it made me forget about what I had to do tonight. When the bell went I was reminded again that it was the night of the full moon. And the time of its rising was getting ever closer. As we packed up to go Professor Bones gave out the rest of his Sugar Quills to those who hadn't gotten any before, including me.

"Remus, I'd like to see you for a moment please," Professor Bones said as he handed out his last Sugar Quill.

"Do you want us to wait?" James asked, as he stood with Sirius and Peter.

"No, I'll be all right," I said. In a way this was a good thing, as I didn't have to answer any of the other boy's questions about why I was so pale and nervous and about my dad.

"Okay," James said, and then he, Sirius and Peter made their way for the door.

"Shut the door on the way out please boys," Professor Bones said. They did so.

I walked to where Professor Bones was leaning on the edge of his desk.

I started to apologise, thinking that he had wanted to see me about why James and I hadn't done our work, "I'm sorry Sir, but we were, well, we were talking, and time got away from us and-"

Professor Bones cut me off, "That's not what I wanted to see you about Remus. Don't worry, I understand. I was just wondering how you're feeling." I looked up at Professor Bones, "I know tonight's the full moon and you don't look very well."

"I…I… I'm okay…" I lied. He saw straight through me.

"No you're not," Professor Bones said, looking at me, "but that's okay. I know it takes an extraordinary amount of courage and resilience to go through what you do every month Remus. It's a lot to be burdened with."

"No it doesn't." I whispered, looking at the ground.

"Doesn't what?"

"It doesn't take courage. I can't fight it. It's not courage that gets me through… I am not brave…"

"Remus, look at me," Professor Bones said softly.

Slowly, ever-so-slowly, I met his eyes.

"You, of all the wizards I've ever met in my life, are the one who has shown the most courage. It takes an astonishing amount of bravery and strength of will to do what you do every month. I've never seen that much strength and courage in anyone before, let alone an eleven year old boy. It is astounding how much you bear each month. Don't think of what you go through in any other way. You are an extraordinary person Remus, and I value that. Please remember that." Professor Bones finished. I looked into his eyes, and saw that what he was saying he believed in very strongly. He offered me comfort and warmth, courage and hope.

I felt I couldn't say anything to that. I was speechless.

"You can go now Remus." Professor Bones said.

I looked at him. "Thank you Sir." I said finally, meaning every word. "Thank you." I said again softly. I turned to leave.

Once I had reached the door I heard Professor Bones' voice again, "You have the strength Remus. Use it."

I opened the door and went out.

As I walked back to the Gryffindor tower passing people on their way to dinner, I felt in a daze. No one had ever said such words to me in all my life. No one had ever said that I had courage, strength of will, in that way. Slowly, some small part of me inside started to believe it. I _did_ have courage. I _was_ brave. I _did_ have strength.

I just had to find it.

7 7 7

I sat silently on the cold and unwelcoming wooden floor, shivering with fear.

I was in the shack waiting for the moon to come up.

Madam Pomfrey had taken me here early this month, she wanted to make sure that there was no chance of me transforming while I was still above ground.

The sun was still in the sky when I slid down into the tunnel of the shack.

Twilight crept into the cold room, lighting up the corners of the dusty room with a reddish hue. It wouldn't be long now. Not long at all. I shivered fiercely.

Slowly, silently, the sun went down and night settled in. The corners darkened. The floor went black. Everything was dark.

Suddenly I knew the moon was rising. I felt it in my bones. A freezing, spine-chilling feeling.

_Soon. Now_. A voice said in my head.

_Now_. _Now I will come. Now Remus_.

I didn't want the wolf to come, but it was useless. So useless. I was helpless. I tried to gather all my strength, my will, my courage. But it was hopeless. I drew on every memory, every thought, every happy feeling I ever had, but it was still hopeless.

I thought of James. James telling me that I could tell him anything. James, with that look of absolute joy on his face as he flew in the sky, free as a bird.

Sirius as he grinned a grin only Sirius could get away with. Sirius as he told me he was sorry.

I thought of Peter, smiling boyishly with a twinkle in his light blue eyes. The sound of his laughing echoed through my head.

I could feel the pain. The gut wrenching pain of my bones transforming, could hear the loud cracking sound as they transformed into that of a wolf's.

A voice echoed in my head.

_Remus, you can't escape. You'll never escape. I **am** you. _

I tried my hardest to block it out. Tried and tried. I thought of the sky, the bright stars shining like beacons of light into the heavens. My father smiling at me as he told me the story of the Centaur's star. My mother, holding me protectively in her arms. Professor Bones' words echoed through my head

_You have the strength Remus. Use it. _

Where was that strength now? Where? Thoughts, feeling, emotions, voices, faces and memories whirled around in my head. The pain kept coming. The voice, I'm not sure if it was my voice, or the wolf's, but the voice I heard as well. And all the while the pain, the unbearable pain, ripped through my body as the wolf took its form.

My mind and all it held- memories of happy times, of friends and family, and smiling faces, emotions and feelings, all slipped away. _I_ was slipping away. Remus Lupin, the small pale boy, whose eyes shone with happiness as he laughed with his friends, was slipping away.

The monster had come.

And Remus Lupin, that small, friendly, slightly shy boy knew no more.

7 7 7

I saw a man, a tall, knightly-looking man with light russet hair. His armour glinted in the fading daylight as he swung a gleaming sword at his enemy. I could not see his face. His back was turned from me but I could see that he was very powerful and swift. I seen this as he blocked a blow of his foe's axe with his sword. He surged forward, his sword poised at his enemy's heart, ready to give the final blow. A blow that would end only in death.

Suddenly, the knight stopped.

He fell to his knees, holding his heart. His sword clattered as it hit the ground.

The attacker had hurled a hidden dagger at the knight's chest in a desperate last minute act to save his own life.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the knight turned around. I saw his face.

It was a familiar face. And then I realized.

That man was me.

I stared at him as he fell to the ground, sinking into the mud, helpless. His life ended with one final blow of his attacker's axe. I looked at his attacker. He was a dark man, a glint of malice in his amber coloured eyes.

Slowly, the setting around me was changing. The knight that was me vanished, and I was surrounded by tall oak trees.

It was dark and the eerie light of the moon bathed the forest in an unearthly light. It dawned upon me that I _knew_ this forest. This was the same forest that I had spent so many days in as a young boy.

The same forest where I had been bitten.

Suddenly, the dark man with amber eyes was transforming. He began to grow longer hair. His nose was transforming into what looked like a snout.

I knew the transformation.

I watched, bolted to the ground in horror as the bones in his body cracked and took the shape of a wolf.

I knew that pain. The pain he was feeling.

Suddenly, when the transformation was complete, the wolf gave an earsplitting howl. It turned towards me; its amber eyes showing malice and hate. I had seen this werewolf before; it was the werewolf that had clenched its jaws around my body as I screamed helplessly as a young boy. Suddenly, its eyes glinting, the werewolf charged at me.

And all I could do was stand there helplessly, my legs like lead and unable to form steps, while the werewolf, with its snapping jaws, ran at me.

I screamed.

* * *

_Remus… Remus… Remus…_

_"Remus!"_ A voice cried out cutting over the loud sounds of someone screaming.

Who was screaming so loud?

Then I realized it was my own voice. _I_ was the one screaming.

"_Remus_!" The voice said again.

My eyes shot open as I struggled to focus on my surroundings; blearily I could make out people standing above me. I stopped screaming. My eyes went in and out of focus and someone poured a foul tasting liquid down my throat.

Slowly, my eyes went back into focus and I could make out the people standing around me. There was Madam Pomfrey holding a brown bottle in her hands, looking down at me with distress, next to Madam Pomfrey stood Professor Bones, his gaze written with concern. I looked at them, dazed.

"Remus, thank Merlin you're safe," Professor Bones said in relief.

"I… I…" I couldn't reply. My throat felt completely dry and raspy and I could not form words, let alone sentences.

Madam Pomfrey held my chin and poured another liquid down my throat, it burned all the way down and then I could feel the dryness leaving my throat and the throbbing pain in my body dulled.

"We didn't know when you'd wake," Professor Bones said quietly, as Madam Pomfrey left the room, no doubt to retrieve some chocolate.

"I… I was… I didn't know either," I replied as the horrible dreams came flooding back to me. The knight sliding down into the mud, murdered. The assassin transforming into a werewolf. The werewolf charging at me, its eyes full of malice.

"You were screaming," Professor Bones gazed at me in concern.

I didn't reply.

"Were you dreaming, Remus?" Professor Bones pulled a seat over next to my bed and sat down, waiting for me to answer.

I looked away. I didn't know whether to tell him or not.

Then, "Yes." I said softly, then slowly I continued, "A knight… he looked like me… he was murdered by a dark man… who had amber eyes… then the murderer turned into a werewolf…" I retraced the dream aloud, "the werewolf, it looked like the one that had bitten me when I was young, it raced at me, its eyes were full of malice and hate… it wanted to kill me…" I said slowly, and then looked up at Professor Bones.

Our eyes met, he was staring at me intently as I went on, "I couldn't move… I couldn't run… I was terrified… and I screamed… and then I woke up," I shuddered as I remembered the image of the hideous werewolf, hurtling towards me.

Suddenly with a shocking realization, I realized that _I_ was like that werewolf. That if I had not been locked up while in my transformed state then the people that I met would feel exactly like I had felt in my dreams, terrified, a monstrous werewolf running at them while all they could do was stare, rooted to the ground in horror. And then another realization crept upon me, why, in the dream, had _I _not been the werewolf? Why did I see a werewolf and I was not the werewolf but the victim? _Why_?

"A strange dream indeed," Professor Bones said. "Why do you think the knight looked like you, Remus?"

"I…I don't know…" I searched my mind for a reason, an explanation.

"I only offer one explanation of many… But, do you think…maybe, that knights are always seen as courageous? Never fearing what they're up against? Always willing to fight their enemy no matter how powerful and overwhelming it may be. Always willing to fight to the bitter end…" Professor stared at me.

I looked at him, considering what he had said. What was he implying? That I was courageous?

"Sir, I don't understand…" I trailed off.

"Consider Remus, the knight, he looked like you, yes?" Professor Bones asked sounding as if we were in class and he was showing me something from a different point of view. I nodded. "Knights are always seen as courageous, determined to fight until the bitter end no matter the consequences?" I nodded again as he continued, "This may be a simple sign, a message."

"A sign?" I asked, wondering where this was leading, "A sign for what?"

"That you need to fight Remus. It is showing you that you have the courage, that somewhere deep inside you, you have the courage to fight the werewolf inside you, you have the determination, strength and the willpower, to fight it. You have an extraordinary amount of strength and courage, that's what gets you through the transformation." Professor Bones said plainly.

"But the knight - the knight dies," I said as the vivid image of the knight, clutching his heart, sinking into the muddy ground, washes over me, "The knight dies at the hands of its attacker - the attacker who turns into a werewolf. The werewolf kills me…"

"It is perhaps another sign."

"For what?" I whispered.

"The dream is revealing to you your worst fears. Your fear of perishing at the hands of werewolf, of letting the wolf take over, of letting it finally get you."

I listened carefully, shocked at such a revelation.

"But the werewolf does not kill you? Does it?" Professor Bones prompted.

"No. I woke up before it reached me."

"And that," Professor Bones smiled at me, "makes all the difference."

As if this implied the end of the conversation, Professor Bones stood up, and with one last look at me, turned and made his way out of the hospital wing.

I lay back in my bed, thinking on what Professor Bones had said. The simple explanation he had offered, that the knight was a sign that I needed to fight the werewolf inside me. And the enemy that had turned into a werewolf, that this was a sign of my fear of the werewolf taking over me.

I retraced the dream in my head. The vision of the knight filled my mind, the knight swinging his sword with valour. The knight that was me, who had died at the hands of his enemy. I thought of the enemy transforming into a werewolf in the middle of the forest, and then running at me, its jaws snapping and saliva dripping from its mouth.

Then I thought of what Professor Bones had said about the werewolf running at me, that it does not end up killing me.

I do not die from the werewolf.

And that makes all the difference.

Does it not?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Yes, I know, I haven't updated in aaaageess, but I have my reasons! Plus I left you with a chapter by Sirius, does that make up for it? And I updated with a looong chapter from Remus! And I was going to separate this chapter so there would be a cliffhanger but decided not to (partly thanks to Ela), aren't I nice? Hehe. So you got the whole thing. Thanks to everyone for your reviews and support during my exams, it really must have helped because I definitely received the marks I wanted! So thankyou very much, I appreciate it more than you know! And thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my one shots- The Silly Season and Musings of a Black, I'm really glad you liked them, if you haven't read or reviewed them I would love it if you did, please!

**Mme. Raye- **Aww! Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it! I really love Sirius and Remus too; they are just the best thing since sliced bread (and sliced bread is overrated!) Yes, anyway, thanks again! Keep enjoying

**This parrot has ceased to be- **Thanks very much, no you definitely didn't come across as that way, I understood what you said, and really appreciate it! J Thanks very very very very very much for your wonderful comments, I don't think I've ever been called a creative genius before! You flatter me, heh. Thanks _a lot_ again, I do appreciate it!

**Cine(loves Sirius- **Thanks for your suggestions! I love writing from Sirius' POV, and if I could, I'd write it all from his and Remus' POV! Haha. But I can't because it's about all of MWPP, so I've gotta try and balance it out a bit, which is hard because I absolutely love writing from Sirius' POV and feel like I can get into his character better than any of the others. Hehe, yes I am taking a fairly long time to get to the end of the year, aren't I? But you gotta remember, at least 5 or 6 of the chapters are just explaining the characters and introducing as well. Plus I really have to write a lot from first year because it's the start of their friendship and everything else, but there won't be as many chapters for say, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th year because there is less to write about. Anyway, I'm rambling!

**Anarane- **Thanks very much! I'm glad you liked it; the destiny chapter is one of my fave's for a while as well. Destiny and fate interests me as well, I believe in fate, I don't know if we all have a destiny or not though, but its interesting to think about. That was a hard line to think up at the end, but then it just sort of came to me, and yeah. Anyway, glad you liked it!

**Tru Lys- **Heh, yes it was a bit sweet, wasn't it? I love the way you put it! -Sirius-defying-his-family-Remus-making-it-all-better, yes, that's exactly it! And there are inevitably going to be more moments like that throughout the story! In fact, there will be a lot more of Remus – Sirius moments, I just love those two!

**Erica- **Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! I'm leaning towards the one long story thing, but I'm still not sure. I'll decide sooner or later. Thanks again! The quote of the day, I actually have no idea who its by, I got it from a quote site, but I don't know the author, it fits very much with the chapter doesn't it?

**Elvengirl9- **Yes, Sirius is definitely a true Gryffindor, I'm glad you liked the lake scene, it seems to be a favourite, yes it was very Remus-like, calm, and peaceful. I think that was exactly what Sirius needed at that moment, I think Remus is the one of the only ones who can make Sirius all better and calm him down. Thanks for your suggestions, that is a good idea having a bit about Remus. I'm still not sure but it has helped me with deciding. Thanks again!

**Janet Lily- **No problem! J I'm glad you liked the chapter, and the developing friendship btwn Remus and Sirius. I will try to write even longer! But it gets hard sometimes!

**Koriaena- **Thanks for your suggestions!

**Aqua seafoam shame/ Miss Penny- **Thanks! I don't know who doesn't love Sirius, but they're missing out, that's for sure! Thanks again!

**Beansie- **That's okay! I'm glad you reviewed the last chapter though! J I'm glad you like the story and I'm very pleased that I get the characters how you imagine them, its how I imagine them, so I'm just writing that. I'm sorry about not writing from Remus' POV for a while either, it gets hard when you have to share around 4 different POV's, and I don't want to neglect anyone, (which I seem to be doing a lot with Peter, because his character is so hard to figure out!). You know, your review actually inspired me and made me realize that it was about time I wrote from Remus' POV, so I did, and I hope you like it! I hope no one that I've come to love will die in the 6th book, if it's Remus I'm right there with you: I'll absolutely die as well. She just can't kill off Remus. Thanks for your suggestions as well, the way that you feel it should stay together has sort of swayed me! But I still haven't made a conclusive decision. I did take a look at your story, and reviewed it, but I haven't had the time to keep reading, I'll try, I think it's very good, considering your only in 8th grade, I could have written nothing like that when I was that age! Well, I do need to say that I am truly flattered and appreciate it very much that my story inspired you to write about MWPP, we all need more stories about them, so keep on writing as much as you can, you've made me very happy about that, and made my day! I love long reviews so don't worry! Sorry about the long reply!! I'm kind of rambling! Thanks very very much again! Ta ta!

**Sapphire Dragon- **Thanks very very much! I'm glad you like the story! Become the next J.K, hey? I would absolutely _love_ that, but I could _never_ be as good as the almighty J.K herself! Your e-mail address isn't showing up. Are you a member? You should sign up and then you can get author alerts for when I update. Thanks very very much again!

**Vivianpottergirl- **Thanks very much! I'm glad you like it! Yes, the Marauders seem to have that effect, don't they? I'm glad you liked the end line, it put shivers down your spine? Wow. Thanks very much for your suggestions, they really did help, and I'm closer to coming to a final decision. Yes, 1200 chapters does look impressive! But people might go '1200 chapters?!!! I'm not even going to bother reading that! Its far too long!' I know I probably would do that unless the story was extremely good or I started reading it while the author was still writing. Anyway, thanks very much again!

**Queen of Dorks- **Thanks very much! And thank you for the suggestions! I know I haven't been updating very fast, but I do try! There probably will be an epilogue (although I'm not even thinking about that right now, it seems sooooooooo far away! Out of reach almost!!) Thanks again!

**Brenntg14- **Thanks very much! Glad you like it! And thanks for your suggestions, it does make sense to do that, it would be easier for new readers, but I'm not sure still! Thanks very much again! I always love new reviewers!

**Goldilocks31890- **Hehe. Thanks very very much! Glad you liked it! Sorry I took so long to update!

**Weirdochelle- **Thanks very much for your opinions, they've helped a lot! Thanks again!

**Writer of Fantasy- **Wow! Thanks very very much! I'm honoured that you didn't wait until chapter 20 to review! I'm glad you liked the chappie about Peter, I like to think there is a very different angle to him than just the traitorous rat. I love Moony as well, there are so many Moony lovers! Yay for us!! Hehe. I'm glad you like the story, keep reading! Thanks very much for your suggestions as well!

**Esther- **Thanks! Hehe, but I _did _update! Didn't I?… eventually…! Hehe. But still, I updated! Glad you liked Sirius, Remus is one of my fave's as well, he's a great friend, I'd love to have him as my friend, he's so caring and just the best, though if he were my friend I'd probably get a crush on him!! Hehe, unless Sirius was there as well!! Anyway, I'm rambling.

**Elvenwolf123321- **Thanks very much! Your story absolutely cracked me up! Now _that _is a classic! I love it! It's gold! That's hilarious, you should write it into a story or something, it's great, use that idea!! Please?! If you haven't already! Go the Giant Squid!

Thanks again and love your rock throwing story!! Hehe.

**Starryk- **Wow. Thanks very very much, I'm glad you liked it and happy that you liked the idea and that it seems like MWPP are writing it, I'm glad I can make people feel that way! Thanks very much again, I appreciate it!

**Kandy916- **Hey! Hehehe, yes I remember you! Well I'm glad you found this story! You coulda e-mailed me and asked me for the link, or something, but nevertheless, you found it, so that's good! Haha, Remus the next Socrates, now that would be… interesting!


	22. Christmas at Hogwarts

**Year 1971, 1st Year:**

**James' Story: **

**Quote of the Day: **_'You can pick your nose and pick your friends, but you can't wipe your friends on the couch.' - That's why it's advisable to choose the right friends in the first place, that way you needn't even try to wipe them on the couch, although cursing always works – especially if they're being particularly annoying…_

The months at Hogwarts flew by extremely fast, one minute I was getting to know my new friends Sirius, Remus and Peter, and the next it was the start of the Quidditch season, then Hallowe'en, and finally Christmas had arrived already.

When McGonagall came around with a form to ask who would be staying over the Christmas holidays Sirius eagerly signed up for it in an instant. Seeing as Sirius was staying and Peter and Remus were going back home to spend Christmas with their families I decided to do the friend thing and stay at Hogwarts with Sirius over the Christmas holidays - seeing as he would have had no company if I didn't stay with him. And if he didn't have any company it would inevitably lead to him being bored, and a bored Sirius is definitely not a good thing as it inevitably led to:

a) Chaos

b) Us getting in trouble or

c) An annoying Sirius.

Or d) All of the above- which is the usual case

As Remus, Peter and I had learnt previously this year. Anyway, I figured that I could spend as much time as I wanted with my family when I went back home for the summer so staying away from them for a bit longer to spend time with my friend didn't seem like a big deal.

"So why don't you want to go home for Christmas Sirius?" Peter asked as McGonagall had left with the forms for who was staying for Christmas after Sirius and I had signed up.

"Don't feel like it," he replied casually, staring intently at Remus' homework and not looking at Peter.

He may have fooled Peter but I knew better - Sirius had told me all about his family and all about what his cousins Narcissa and Bellatrix had told him after Hallowe'en, and I got the general idea of what their morals were like when Sirius' mother, Cyrilla Black, sent that Howler to him on the first day of school.

His mother sent many Howlers to him after that, about him being in Gryffindor, about us; his 'filthy brat' friends, about our little pranks, about his detentions, and about anything else she could lay the blame on him for.

Sirius was so used to these regular Howlers by now, that every time he received one he simply opened it and resumed eating his breakfast as if he had never received a Howler, or he just sat there looking very bored with it waiting for his mother to finish yelling her head off.

In fact, the students had gotten so used to these regular Howlers that they didn't even give Sirius a second glance when they saw a smoking crimson envelope arrive in front of him. Several of the teachers, (Professor McGonagall for instance) got extremely irritated with these regular Howlers. It's even rumored that McGonagall sent Mrs. Black a Howler for sending Howlers to _her_ student! Needless to say, everyone got a good laugh out of that, regardless if it was true or not.

I also noticed that every time a red envelope arrived in front of Sirius, Professor Crevan would curl his lip slightly and look at Sirius as if he wanted to smile but couldn't.

Though many of the Gryffindors had come to accept a Black in their midst, there were some that didn't, this was the blonde haired seventh year Quidditch captain Jared Abbott who was a Chaser. Jared's parents were good friends of my parents so Jared sometimes talked to me. His friend Dominic Woodsworth, who played Beater on the Gryffindor team, also didn't accept that Sirius was a Gryffindor (though I think that's because Jared didn't). Although I liked the two seventh years a lot, because they never managed to lose a match for Gryffindor, I didn't like the way I saw them treating Sirius sometimes.

They made it their job to tell him that he shouldn't be in Gryffindor and should be in Slytherin with the rest of his family- which is utter trite if you knew Sirius Black well enough.

Abbott and Woodsworth didn't bother Sirius as much as Crevan did (like every five minutes of the day) but occasionally they'd make a passing comment to him.

Sirius seemed to pass it off as no big deal though, so none of us worried much about it, but I knew deep down that Sirius longed for the seventh years to accept him as a Gryffindor, like they had Remus, Peter and me…

* * *

The day of the Christmas holidays had finally arrived and Sirius and I were seeing Remus and Peter off outside the castle. It was a very chilly day and snow was settling on our robes and in our hair.

"And don't open your presents until Christmas," Remus said after explaining when he was planning to come back, looking particularly at Sirius, because if he was right, then Sirius would open his presents as soon as Remus and Peter had boarded the Hogwarts Express. Sirius was seriously lacking in the morals and tradition of Christmas.

"Yeah, yeah, so you've said like five hundred times already Remus," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"You know, he'll probably open them as soon as we get back to the castle," I said to Remus. Remus nodded in agreement.

"We need to exercise some discipline with him," Remus grinned.

"I am appalled that you two have so little faith in me," Sirius said, looking at Remus and I.

"Well you _do _remember what happened in Defense last week don't you?" Remus raised his eyebrows. Of course he was referring to when Professor Bones was about to show us a new dark creature, a cage was sitting on the floor in front of us was covered in a thick velvet cloth and growling could be heard coming from inside it. Professor Bones insisted on talking about Muggle electricity before he would reveal what was hidden behind the cloth, and Sirius, getting more impatient by the second, finally jumped out of the seat and pulled off the velvet cloth himself.

"Oh _that_," Sirius said, grinning at us, "well, you _know_ I'm the impatient type."

"_And_ the idiotic type," I murmured so only Remus and Peter could hear. Or so I thought. Peter and Remus laughed.

"I heard that James! And when Peter and Remus go you'll be regretting it," Sirius poked his tongue out at me, "anyway, I won't open them," Sirius said, referring back to his Christmas presents, "but you will forgive me if I open my parents present won't you?" Sirius said, somewhat bitterly.

"That," Remus said, "we can forgive."

"I'm so excited," Sirius said sarcastically.

I laughed. But I was the only one who did. Remus and Peter kept quiet, while Sirius suddenly seemed sullen.

"Well," Peter said finally, breaking the silence of an awkward situation, "here comes the carriages, see you two when we get back," Peter said. We said our goodbyes and once the horseless carriages were out of sight we walked back into the castle.

"So, what are we going to do for the next week or so?" I asked Sirius.

"Hmm, no idea, actually," Sirius replied.

"What do you want to do now then?" I asked Sirius, when he didn't reply after a couple of seconds I looked over at him, he was staring at someone in the Great Hall, I followed his gaze and saw what he was staring at; it was Snivellus, he was walking over to us with Lucius Malfoy- a snobby blonde seventh year who was Beater and the Slytherin Quidditch team captain and thought he was 'all that', Malfoy was a very dirty Quidditch player, he was constantly hitting his opposition with his bat just to win, he didn't have any talent at all except the talent to hit people as hard as he could with a stick. That was exactly why Dominic and Jared hated him with a passion. The feeling was mutual for Malfoy as well. Whenever Malfoy and Jared were on the same Quidditch pitch you could be almost guaranteed that the match was going to be dirty.

I was about to drag Sirius up the staircase to get away from an obvious confrontation with the Slytherins but before we had a chance to go anywhere however, the Slytherins were upon us.

"So Black, I hear that your family doesn't want you back for the holidays. How tragic," Lucius Malfoy said in a derogatory tone, "I don't really blame them though, who would want scum like you at the same dinner table? It's rather like dining with a house-elf really." Malfoy said with a sneer. Snivellus sniggered. Sirius made to jump Malfoy but I grabbed his robes and held him back.

"Shut your mouth Malfoy!" Sirius said, whilst trying to get free of my grip.

"Dear me, talking to a prefect like that, that'll be… let's see- five points from Gryffindor," Malfoy said with a vicious pleasure.

"Go jump in a pit and die Malfoy," I said to the tall blonde seventh year.

"Oh, I'm so scared Potter, I suppose your parents didn't want you at home either?" Malfoy said sneering.

"Yes they did actually, even though that's none of your business. And why aren't you home for the holidays Malfoy? I suppose your parents would have found you to be a disgrace at their snotty dinner parties with dark wizards," I said bravely. Malfoy instantly whipped his wand out from the insides of his robes, but a voice stopped him from doing anything else.

"What's going on here?" It was Professor Crevan. He had came from the Great Hall and stood now behind Lucius Malfoy. Crevan was wearing robes of a deep royal blue; he always seemed to be very well dressed. Sometimes he looked like he had just stepped out of the ye olde 18th Century. Needless to say, his clothes were a tad out of date.

He probably bought them at an antique store.

"Nothing, Professor Crevan," Malfoy said silkily, turning around to face Professor Crevan.

"Put that wand away Malfoy," Crevan said. Malfoy obeyed and put his wand back in his robe pocket.

"Now I suggest you all get back to your common rooms, unless you want points taken away," Crevan said. Sirius and I turned around and started walking for the staircase.

"Oh, Mr. Black," Crevan said. Sirius looked at me darkly, and then turned around.

"Yes Professor?" he said in a distinctly cold voice.

"I'd like a word, if you please," Crevan said.

"Yes Professor," Sirius said.

"You want me to wait?" I asked Sirius.

"No, it's okay, I'll see you in the dorms later," he replied, looking sullen.

"Okay then," I said and started up the staircase, leaving Sirius to his doom. I thought Crevan was an okay teacher, well, he was okay to me at least, but he tried to convince Sirius to go back to being a 'proper' pureblood every five minutes. (Slight exaggeration). Crevan was Sirius' dad's friend so that gave him automatic permission to badger Sirius for five minutes every day about the importance of pure bloods.

Once I got to the common room I sat down in our favourite spot in front of the fire and flicked through _Quidditch Through the Ages. _The common room was pretty much empty because a lot of people had gone home for Christmas; the only people that were in the common room were the two seventh years Jared Abbott and Dominic Woodsworth.

"Hi Potter," it was Jared; he had walked up to me with Dominic and sat down in the chair opposite me.

"Hi Jared, Dominic," I replied, putting my book down.

"Where are the rest of your friends? Did they go home for Christmas?" Dominic asked, his red hair shining in the firelight.

"Remus and Peter did, Sirius is downstairs," I replied, not mentioning the fact that he was talking to Crevan, as Dominic and Jared had already found enough excuses not to like Sirius.

"That Black kid?" Jared frowned. "Why do you hang around him James?" he asked.

"Because he's my friend, you really should give him a chance," I replied.

"The day an Abbott gives a Black a chance will be a dire day indeed," Jared said, "no, there's something about him… I don't like the way he thinks he's a Gryffindor when he's meant to be Slytherin with the rest of his lot. You know the Black's are dark wizards." Jared finished.

"There's a black sheep in every family though, and Sirius is a true Gryffindor. If you'd just talk to him I'm sure you'd see that," I said, sticking up for Sirius. I don't exactly know why I felt the need to stick up for Sirius, he could do it perfectly well himself, and it seemed a big thing for me to stick up for a Black against a person that I had known for ages, and whose parents were my parents good friends. But Jared had been right in a way, there _was_ something about Sirius - something _good_, that is - I just couldn't place it yet.

"Whatever you say," Jared replied, but I knew he totally disagreed with me, his tone suggesting otherwise.

"So why didn't you go home for Christmas?" I asked.

"Well, I got the whole Gryffindor team to stay, we really need to practice for the next match," Jared explained. Of course, the next match was Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and as I mentioned before, the Slytherins use particularly dirty techniques when playing against Gryffindor. If they couldn't win by skill they used violence instead, so that's why the Gryffindor's had to train extra hard to play against the Slytherins.

"You think you're going to win?" I asked excitedly.

"I don't think James, I _know _we'll win, that stupid git Malfoy doesn't stand a chance against us, we have a strong side this year," Jared said.

"Yeah, after that trick he played earlier this year, he's going to regret that he didn't play us sooner," Dominic said, referring to what had happened earlier this year. The first match of the season had meant to be Gryffindor versus Slytherin, but the Slytherin team, knowing fully that Gryffindor had prepared to play against them, pulled out of playing a couple of days before the match, leaving Gryffindor to play unprepared against Ravenclaw- luckily though, Gryffindor won thanks to the skill of our Seeker. So now Gryffindor was to play against Slytherin in January, and they had been preparing for it for a long time. There was no way this time that the Slytherin team could skive their way out of playing this time.

"I saw Malfoy earlier today, he's staying for the holidays as well," I told Jared and Dominic.

Dominic groaned, "I'll bet they're trying to cram all the last minute practice they can get, the stupid prats,"

"Just as long as they don't come to our Quidditch practice it doesn't bother me," Jared replied, "actually, speaking of practice, we should be going Dominic," Jared said, turning to Dominic, he turned to me and then said, "feel like watching us practice James?" Jared asked. I had been to watch the Gryffindor team practice for their next matches a couple of times because Jared invited me; he knew that I loved Quidditch. In fact, I picked up a lot of techniques just from watching them play.

"Nah, I can't, sorry," I replied, "I'm waiting for Sirius to get back," I explained.

"Suit yourself then," Jared said, standing up.

"We might come down later," I told them, deliberately including Sirius. Jared and Dominic nodded then disappeared into their dormitory to retrieve their brooms then they exited through the portrait hole.

About five minutes after Jared and Dominic left, I had just gotten back into _Quidditch Through The Ages_ and had begun to read about the Wollongong Shimmy- a Chaser's technique, when Sirius came stomping through the portrait hole. He made his way over to me and threw himself (rather violently, I might add) into the nearest chair. I waited for him to say something, and almost instantaneously-

"Who does bloody Crevan think he is?!" Sirius said angrily. "You know what that stupid (insert many curse words here) told me?"

"No, what?" I asked, knowing that this was not really needed though, as Sirius would say it anyway.

"'Sirius,'" Sirius started to imitate Crevan's voice, "'you do know why your parents don't want you home for Christmas don't you? It's because you aren't upholding your pureblood status, being in Gryffindor makes it even harder, blah blah _bloody_ _blah_.'" Sirius said violently banging his fist on the table, "Honestly, if I _wanted_ a lecture on pureblood gripe I'd send a letter to my mother, or go visit Bellatrix and Narcissa! Stupid bloody prat doesn't know what he's talking about! What gives _him_ the right to tell me rubbish like that?! I get enough from my stupid mother, and every other relative, I don't need it from a teacher as well!"

I didn't really know what to say to this, I never really knew what to say to Sirius when he was talking about his family.

"And you know what else he said to me?" Sirius asked, not waiting for me to reply, "He said I still had a chance to go there (Grimmauld Place) for Christmas if I just accepted that I'm a pure-blood! I'm so _sick_ of people telling me what to do James! And Malfoy! You heard what _he_ said!"

"He's just a prat, don't worry about it," I replied.

"Oh I'm not worried, I'm just pissed off, I mean, can't he just go jump into the fiery depths of hell and never return?"

"We can't hope for too much Sirius." I replied, my lip slightly curved with the hint of a grin.

Sirius looked over at me and his eyes met mine and suddenly his face split into a grin.

"No, I guess you're right," he said, as if thinking hard.

"Hey, do you want to go watch the Quidditch practice? The team are down on the pitch now," I told Sirius, hoping this might cheer him up a bit; Sirius loved Quidditch almost as much as I did.

"Hmm, all right then," Sirius replied.

"Let's go then," I said, standing up and making my way over to the portrait hole with Sirius close behind.

We made our way through the corridors and down out onto the grounds. It was a freezing day and small snowflakes were flying around helped by a chilly breeze. Bad weather did not stop the Gryffindor team from training though; they trained rain, hail or snow. Sirius was still rambling on about what Crevan had said to him when we were walking down to the pitch.

"Maybe this wasn't such a great idea," Sirius said, stopping his rambling momentarily and putting his hands in his pockets.

"We don't have to stay for long," I said as we walked onto the Quidditch pitch.

The Gryffindor team was flying around in the wind, passing the Quaffle around and practicing various techniques.

"Do you want to sit over in the stands?" I asked Sirius.

"No, we'll freeze our butts off, and besides, I couldn't be bothered climbing all the way up there," Sirius replied lazily.

We had been watching the team practice for about ten minutes when suddenly a group of Slytherins came marching onto the pitch.

It was the Slytherin Quidditch team, led by none other than Lucius Malfoy; all of them were holding broomsticks.

Malfoy took one look at Sirius and me and smirked, "Got nowhere else to go, have you Potter- Black?" he asked snidely. Sirius was glaring daggers at the blonde seventh year.

Clearly he hadn't forgotten what Malfoy had said to him earlier this morning.

Before either of us could reply to Malfoy's comment the Gryffindor team had come down to land and gotten off their broomsticks to confront the Slytherins.

"What do you think you're doing here Malfoy?" Jared asked brusquely.

"We've come to practice, what does it look like Abbott?" Malfoy said languidly.

"This is _our_ practice time, we were here first, go find somewhere else," Dominic said, pushing his way forward to stand next to Jared.

"My, my… I don't see your _name_ on it anywhere Woodsworth," Malfoy said smugly.

"The only people that are allowed on the pitch are us right now, so go back to your hole in the ground," Jared said, referring to the Slytherin common room.

"Funny that, isn't it? I seem to distinctly see two people," Malfoy looked at Sirius and me, "over there, who- last time I looked, weren't on your team."

"We were invited! _You_ _weren't_!" I said. Malfoy turned to face us and stepped nearer towards us, a menacing look in his eyes.

"Still haven't learnt from this morning, have you Potter? Still haven't learnt to keep your foul little mouth shut. You're all the same, you Potters, never learnt to keep your mouths shut, always got to have _your _opinion, don't you?" Malfoy said.

"Don't talk to James like that! He's worth more than you'll ever be! You stupid prat!" Sirius said, his rage building up from the start of the day. Inevitably, I knew, he'd have to take it out on something, or someone. I think he had had enough of people pushing him around, but the other thing disliked maybe even more, was when people insulted his friends. Dominic and Jared exchanged looks of surprise.

Malfoy glared at Sirius, "I see you haven't learnt either Black, you're a disgrace to purebloods," Malfoy spat. I noticed Sirius' hand slip inside his robe pocket where he usually put his wand.

"And _you're _just an arrogant spoilt stuck up prat who thinks he's the ruler of Britain when the only thing you'll ever rule is a toothless house elf in that crypt you call a home!" Sirius said angrily. Instantly, I knew he had gone too far.

"You'll regret that Black," Malfoy said dangerously, putting his hand into his robes, "you're nothing but a filthy traitorous piece of scum that hangs around with filthy half-breeds, lowlifes, and blood traitors!"

All of a sudden, before Malfoy could get his wand out, Sirius had whipped his out and aimed it at Malfoy.

"_Insectosedious!" _Sirius roared and a blue light shot out of Sirius' wand and hit Malfoy square in the face, instantaneously Malfoy begun to sprout feelers, the Gryffindor's burst out laughing.

"I'd rather be a blood traitorous piece of scum than a filthy worthless overgrown _pest_!" Sirius yelled at Malfoy.

Malfoy tried to utter a curse at Sirius but couldn't, and then suddenly he bent down and started to scuttle along the ground. By now the Gryffindors were almost in tears with laughter, me included.

The Slytherin team, being a tad (did I just say a tad? I meant _very_) stupid, didn't put their heads together and come up with the obvious solution to curse Sirius back, instead they looked at Malfoy, (who was still scuttling along the ground, and by now was making his way off the pitch) and followed him off the pitch.

Sirius put his wand back into his robe pocket and glared at the retreating Slytherin team, headed by bug-Malfoy.

"Good one Sirius!" I said, laughing, and then slapped him on the back.

"I always knew Malfoy was an overgrown bug," Jared said, laughing, and then looked at Sirius.

Sirius shrugged, his rage dissipating. Though he still had a slightly grumpy look on his face.

"Um," Jared said, I could feel he wanted to say something to Sirius, maybe an apology, "I think we've underestimated you Bla-… Sirius."

I looked at Sirius, he didn't say anything, but I noticed a distinct smile in his eyes, though he didn't show it on his mouth.

"Seems that you're not like the rest of the Blacks after all, what you did just there for James, I wouldn't have expected. You _are_ different…" Jared gazed at Sirius as if seeing him for the first time.

"Well took you long enough to realize didn't it?" Sirius snapped.

Jared stared at him. Dominic eyed Sirius. Then suddenly Sirius remembered who he was talking to. Who he had been secretly seeking the acceptance of all year. He looked at Jared, "I mean… uh, thanks…" Sirius said looking a bit sheepish. I breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing anyone needed was Jared and Sirius having a duel with each other.

Jared nodded. The suspicion from the past few months had all but disappeared. Dominic looked at Sirius more warmly this time. If Jared could finally accept Sirius then so would Dominic.

"Well, let's get back in the air then," Caleb Mort, the 5th Year Gryffindor Chaser, said.

Jared nodded then mounted his broomstick and flew up into the air, followed by the rest of his team.

"You know," Sirius said, looking up in the air at the airborne Gryffindor team who were passing a Quaffle, "cursing people does wonders for anger-management," Sirius looked at me and grinned, "and you know what else?"

"What?" I asked.

"I think that this Christmas is going to be considerably _better_ than last year…"

* * *

Christmas day came at last and found Sirius and me at the foot of our beds rummaging through the pile of presents that had appeared on the floor in front of our beds that morning.

"So, which one should I open first?" I asked Sirius, who was already in the process of hacking open his presents like a madman. I hoped that there would be no breakables in his pile, because by now they were sure to be in pieces.

"The biggest one of course!" Sirius replied, as if this was the most logical and obvious thing in the world.

"Okay." I took Sirius's advice and began unwrapping the biggest present, I didn't get far however.

"Look at this!" Sirius said, as he pulled wrapping paper vicariously off a black item, "It's a camera! A Muggle one!"

"Cool!" I said, as Sirius held up the camera, "Who'd you get it from?" I asked, looking at the wrappings on the floor.

"It's from Uncle Alphard, he's one of the rare relatives who's not a stupid git, he's secretly fascinated with Muggle stuff, although he'd _never_ tell my aunt about it, she'd probably kick him out," Sirius replied.

"Oh, ok."

"I can take all the pictures I want with this now, Alphard showed me a camera like this when he was visiting once, he must have guessed I would like one," Sirius said happily.

"Hey James!" I looked at Sirius and all of a sudden a bright flash of light came from the camera. It nearly bloody blinded me. Being blinded with a bright camera flash early in the morning was _not_ my idea of fun.

"Gah! Did you have to?! You could have warned me! I hate camera flashes!" I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Sorry!" Sirius said brightly, although he didn't sound sorry at all. "I forgot that you probably aren't used to them cause you're too ugly to take a picture of," Sirius chortled.

"Well I'm surprised you even know what a camera is, seeing as you've probably never had one pointed at you in your entire life," I retorted.

"Now now Jamie, I _said_ I was sorry, no need to get narky," Sirius replied with a grin.

"Well, just don't point that bloody thing at me again," I said as I opened my eyes. Of course, I should have known by now that whenever you told Sirius _not _to do something he does the complete opposite and does it anyway, so I found myself being blinded again with Sirius' incessant camera flashes.

"Get that thing away from me will you! My eyes are bad enough as it is, I don't want to be blind because of your camera!" I said as Sirius clicked away continually with his camera.

"You're half blind anyway - that's why you wear glasses!" Sirius said.

Thanks for pointing that out Captain Obvious.

"Get away or you're going to get it! I _told_ you, I don't want to be blind!" I said, covering my eyes. Sirius stopped clicking. I opened my eyes warily.

Sirius grinned at me, "It doesn't blind you, you twit, it's just a light,"

"Yeah, a bloody _annoying_ light."

"At least I have some good photo's now," Sirius said as he grinned, "I can't wait to get these developed!"

"You won't get them developed if you keep pointing that thing at me," I murmured.

"What was that James? Did you say you wanted _another_ picture? Oh okay," Sirius grinned evilly.

Sometimes I wonder why I ever made friends with Sirius. I was wondering that at that precise moment when Sirius held the camera up and clicked it again, yet again blinding me temporarily with his stupid flash.

"Sirius! For Merlin's sake! _Stop_ it!" I said, covering my eyes again.

"What was that? You want _another _picture? My, my James, haven't you had _enough_ yet? Greedy today aren't we?" Sirius laughed as he clicked his camera again.

"You're wasting all your film you twit!" I said, flailing my arms around blindly trying to find a part of Sirius to hit.

Which didn't work very well as I couldn't see anything.

The clicking and flashing suddenly stopped, "You're right, I better not waste it, especially not with pictures of you," Sirius joked.

I opened my eyes and mock-glared at him.

"You're a complete idiot Sirius," I said, grinning, "you do know that don't you?"

"Yes, actually I do, I've been told several times," Sirius said with a mock-sigh, "Now stop complaining and open your bloody presents," Sirius said, "you haven't even opened _one _yet!"

Sometimes Sirius was _unbelievable_.

"I wonder _whose_ fault that is," I grumbled in an effort to sound a bit peeved.

"Certainly not _mine, _if that's what you're implying. You're just slow Jamie," Sirius said with a grin. "Do you want any help?" he asked eagerly, looking at my presents.

"No, I think I can manage," I replied soberly.

"Are you quite sure?"

"Yes! You've still got to open some of _your_ presents."

"Hmph," Sirius said, and then went back to opening his presents as if there was no tomorrow.

I finally got back to opening my present.

Suddenly I heard a growl coming from Sirius' direction, he usually emitted a growl whenever he was angry or something was bothering him, I looked over to Sirius, who was reading a letter.

"I don't believe it," he said, almost to himself whilst reading the letter.

"What?" I asked, having a feeling that the letter was from his family.

"Here," Sirius said as he finished reading and shoved the letter in front of me.

It read:

_Sirius Black,_

_We have received word that you are still associating with those dirty half bloods and blood traitors. We must remind you that if this continues you will have to answer to your family, we don't want you associating with such scum as the Gryffindors; need we remind you that our reputation as well as yours is at stake here?_

_The Black name has always been held in extremely high regard in our society and anything you do to ruin this position will be dealt with accordingly. _

_You must understand that we only have your best interests in mind, associating with Gryffindor's won't get you anywhere. Although the Potter's are a somewhat respected (I use the term here **very** lightly) pureblood family they are seen in the eyes of our community to be blood traitors, they are a disgrace to purebloods and don't take pride in their lineage. Remember this next time you cavort with that Potter boy. The Lupins and Pettigrews aren't even purebloods; you must not associate with them any further. They have nothing to their name and are disgraced families within our circle. _

_We have also heard about your escapades into the Forbidden Forest with these 'friends' on Hallowe'en, let us remind you that if this continues you will be answering not only to us but also to Professor Crevan who has graciously offered to keep an eye out for you and we have instructed him to act accordingly on our behalf. _

**_Don't forget that you are the Black heir and next in line for the Black family fortune, mend your ways lest you may mar your fortune. _**

_Merry Christmas_

_Your parents, _

_Cyrilla and Amias Black. _

I handed the letter back to Sirius, who was looking at me darkly.

"Sorry about what he said about your family," he said apologetically.

"Sirius, I don't care what he said about my family, he can say whatever he wants about us, sticks and stones you know," I said, looking at Sirius, who, just five minutes ago was happily annoying the crap out of me taking pictures, "are you all right?" I asked.

"Spose so," he wasn't angry this time, I think he was just too sick of things to be angry, "'_mend your ways lest you may mar your fortune_,'" Sirius read out from the letter, "like I even _care_ about the Black fortune," he added, leaning against his trunk, the happy mood he had just been in had all but disintegrated. His family _did_ have that effect on him.

"Why don't you move out or something," I suggested.

"Because they're my only family, I've got nowhere else to go, one day I'll move, but I can't now, I dunno why, I just can't," Sirius said.

"You could come and stay at my house," I offered. Sirius instantly looked at me with a glimmer of hope on his face. For his expression it looked like I had just offered him a lifetime supply of chocolate frogs.

"Really?" He asked weakly.

"Of course."

"You really mean that James?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it you idiot."

Sirius' face split into a wide grin.

"One day," he said, "One day I might just take you up on that offer." Sirius said, "but your family won't know what hit them," he added with a lopsided grin.

"They'll have _plenty_ of warning," I replied, "believe me."

Sirius grinned and reflected upon things for a while before going back to another present and opening it, "Look what Andromeda gave me," he said, holding up a digital watch.

"Cool," I replied. Andromeda was Sirius' cousin, and, according to Sirius, the only decent cousin he had, and one of the very few Black's that he actually liked. They had a close relationship and I had a feeling that Andromeda sort of looked after Sirius in a way. Andromeda was Bellatrix and Narcissa's older sister, she used to go to Hogwarts but left, she had been in Ravenclaw, one of the few Blacks to be in a different house than Slytherin.

The rest of the morning went by quickly, Sirius and I passed the morning opening the rest of our presents, eating sweets, joking and laughing. All in all, even though I wasn't with my family it was one of the best Christmases that I've ever had. And when I look back on it, I realize that I _was _with my family, or part of my extended family at least, because Sirius, Remus and Peter were my brothers and we were, in a way, family.

Later that day Sirius and I joined the other Gryffindors at the Gryffindor table for the Christmas feast. And let me tell you, I have never seen so much food on one table in my whole life; they had every food there imaginable, chipolatas, roast turkey, potatoes, gravy, chicken, everything that was edible was on the table. The decorations were great as well, there were twelve Christmas trees each positioned randomly around the Great Hall and decorated lavishly. There were streamers, sparkling snow and other decorations everywhere around the Great Hall.

The house tables were set up and when we entered with the Gryffindor team the Slytherins all glared at us, clearly not forgetting Sirius' curse on Malfoy. Malfoy looked absolutely furious, and was looking at Sirius with an utter look of loathing that rivaled Snivellus'. Of course, when McGonagall had found out that Sirius had cursed Malfoy she went off her nut and gave Sirius a month's detention

Sirius didn't mind too much about the detention though. You see, Sirius and I were setting a record here at Hogwarts, we were in competition with each other on who could get the most detentions, right now Sirius was clearly winning, but that could change. On our first detention we made this deal, I remember it clearly.

"Psst! James!" Sirius whispered, we were writing lines in the Transfiguration classroom and McGonagall had left for a minute.

"What?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Bet you that I'll get more detentions than you in the seven year's that we're here," Sirius said, grinning.

"_You_? Get more detentions than the famous James Potter? I highly doubt it my friend!" I replied.

"I bet you I will," Sirius said.

"Name your stakes,"

"Hmm, the loser, at the end of seven years, has to run through the Great Hall starkers," Sirius said with a grin, "At breakfast, in front of the whole school," he finished.

"Deal," I replied, offering my hand so Sirius could shake it.

"Good, but you can't _try _and get detentions just to win, like you can't go up to McGonagall and tell her she's a barmy old bat," he said as he shook my hand. I nodded and opened my mouth more to talk about the bet but McGonagall had entered the room again so we had no choice but to get back to our lines. So that was our bet and I was sure that I would win it.

Sirius and I, with the other Gryffindors sat down at the Gryffindor table and waited for Dumbledore to say something. Eventually he stood up.

"Welcome to the Christmas feast, do enjoy your food but don't eat too much lest you burst. Now dig in!" Dumbledore said, and sat down again and began to eat.

We all began to eat then, anything that was within Sirius' and my arms lengths we ate. Which was basically every kind of dish anyway.

"'Fis," Sirius said while wolfing down food like there was no tomorrow, "Spis roddy 'oog spood," he said with his mouth full. I gathered that he was trying to say something like 'this is bloody/ruddy good food'.

I nodded in agreement. "Youf con spay fat 'gain," I said, my mouth full of potato.

It sure was bloody good; it even rivaled my mother's traditional Christmas dinner. And that's saying something.

"Well _that_ is what I call a Christmas dinner," Dominic said after the food had all but disappeared, from across the table. The Gryffindors all nodded in agreement.

"They get better every year," Caleb Mort said, leaning back in his chair. Of course, he was referring to the house elves that did all the cooking.

"Check out the Slytherins you two," Jared said, talking to Sirius and I, "they're out to get you now," he chuckled. We looked over at the Slytherins, who, despite the lavish feast they had just eaten, did not look any happier, and were glaring at us.

"Pfft, I'd like to see them try," Sirius said.

"If a first-year can turn Malfoy into a bug then imagine what you guys could do to them," I said, talking to Dominic, Jared and Caleb.

"You know, you'd be surprised James, that bug curse was pretty advanced for a first-year," Jared said, "where'd you learn it Sirius?" Jared asked.

Sirius, who still found it weird that Jared could be friendly, didn't answer straight away, "My cousin Andromeda taught me, in case I wanted to curse Bellatrix," he replied. Jared, Caleb and Dominic laughed.

"I see," Jared replied, "I remember Andromeda actually."

"You do?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, she was in sixth year when I was in fifth year," Jared replied, "She was the pretty brunette?"

Sirius nodded. "Did you talk to her?"

"Not much actually. She was going out with that Ted Tonks, wasn't she Dom?" Jared looked at Dominic, who nodded.

Sirius frowned, "Ted Tonks?"

"Yeah, he was that Muggle-born, he was in Ravenclaw as well," Dominic said.

Sirius nodded.

"I'm going back to the Common room, coming anyone?" Caleb said, standing up. Dominic and Jared stood up as well, and they left. Soon it was just Sirius and I left at the Gryffindor table.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked Sirius as we both leant back in our chairs.

"I dunno," Sirius replied dismissively. He clearly still had his mind on something else.

"What's up?" I asked.

"It's nothing," he replied, I gave him a look, "well, it's just, Andromeda… I mean, she never told me she was going out with that Ted Tonks," he said.

"She probably didn't think it was important," I replied.

"Yeah, probably," he replied, "I wonder who he is," he pondered.

"Well if he was in Ravenclaw he must have been all right," I said.

"Yeah," Sirius replied.

When we were ready we walked back up to the common room and finished the afternoon lazily playing chess and exploding snap. Sirius also spent his time taking pictures of random objects.

"Hey, let's take a picture," Sirius held up his camera and looked at me after he had taken a picture of his hand.

"Um, isn't that what you've been doing for the past fifteen minutes?" I asked Sirius who had sparkly red tinsel tied around his head, as Jared moved his knight to E5 and eliminated my last pawn.

"No, you twit, I meant let's take a picture of us two," Sirius replied, sitting next to me and surveying the chess game. "You're losing," he said instantly.

Thanks again, Captain Obvious.

"I might still win, you never know," I replied.

Sirius watched as Jared eliminated my queen, "No, you're definitely going to lose."

"Thanks for having so much faith in me Sirius." I said as I moved one of my chess pieces, but I knew in the next move that Jared would check mate me anyway.

"Anytime," he grinned, "Now stand up and let's have a picture," Sirius said.

I groaned, "Fine then," I said as Jared moved one of his pieces and had me in check mate.

"You've lost," Sirius pointed out perceptibly. I rolled my eyes and then Sirius pulled me out of my seat.

"Jared would you mind taking a picture for us?" Sirius asked Jared, who stood up.

"Sure," he replied, taking Sirius' camera.

We stood in front of the tinselled fireplace and put our arms around each other's shoulders.

Jared held the camera up to his eye and was about to take it when,

"Wait a minute!" Sirius said suddenly, as if struck by a sudden idea, "Something's missing," he said, and then he turned around and ripped some sparkly yellow tinsel off the mantelpiece and then proceeded to wrap it around my head.

"Sirius! I don't want to wear this stupid tinsel!" I said, tugging at his hand as he fastened the tinsel around my head.

"Oh shut up Jim, get into the Christmas spirit!" Sirius replied happily.

"It looks good on you," Jared grinned at me.

I groaned and then we put our arms around each other's shoulders again to pose for the picture. I gave Sirius a quick sideways glance, he was smiling broadly and it was one of those moments when he was truly happy.

I grinned as Jared finally took the picture of us, the Christmas spirit finally settled in as I realised I was where I was needed most at Christmas.

With my best friend – Sirius Black.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Meh. Well, there you go. Yay for James & Sirius. As for the _quote of the day_- don't even ask, haha, I just thought it funny and stuck it in there, and it would be something James & Sirius would laugh at as well. So there. ;o). Plus I'm sick of finding quotes that fit every chapter.

**Brenngt14- **Hehe, yes go Remus! He _can_ fight it! You've found a new respect for him? Wowsie. Woohoo- someone else who has Sirius as their fave! A lot of people have Remus as fave, but Sirius is mine, although Remus comes a _very _close second. Glad you liked the chapter!

**Writer of Fantasy- **Heh, thanks glad you liked it! Another Remus lover, I see! J You checked for updates almost everyday?! Wow.! Do you have a account? Cause then you can put me on author alert and it'll tell you when I update. I'm glad you like the story, and the transformation, and the part with James. It's always Sirius & James or Sirius & Remus so I thought it was about time to show James & Remus.

**Beansie- **That's okay- its always great to write a Remus chapter! Oh that is good about what JK said, so he plays a big role eh? Where'd you read that? Maybe he could be the HBP! That would be a big role. I would love to see more of Remus. Yes, the dreams are a bit strange- but think about it, in real life when _aren't _dreams strange? Hehe. Thanks for your tips. The only thing is is that I can't think of someone like Peter- I'll have to look into that! Yes the ownership clauses do make sense, thanks very much for pointing that out for me, I looked further into it, I looked in OotP to see what J.K uses, and it is, as you said Sirius's, and here's what Fiction Alley had to say about the matter:

_Finally, the eternally puzzling question: is it Sirius' or Sirius's?  
Here's what the Chicago Manual of Style has to say:__quote: __

* * *

__For names ending in silent, s, z or x the possessive, unlike the plural, can generally be formed in the usual way without suggesting an incorrect pronunciation:  
Josquin De Prez's motets  
Vaulcouleurs's theorems  
Margaux's bouquet  
Traditional exceptions to the general rule for forming possessive are the names of Jesus and Moses:  
in Jesus' name  
Moses' leadership  
Names of more than one syllable with an unaccented ending pronounced -eez form another category of exceptions. Many Greek and Hellenized names fit this pattern. For reasons of euphony the possessive s is seldom added to such names:  
Euripedes' plays  
Ramses' tomb  
Xerxes' army  
Charles Yerkes' benefactors __

* * *

__So that suggests that Remus and Sirius really do not need a final "s" for the possessive, but James might. However, a bit later on the Chicago Manual of Style goes on to say:__

* * *

__The University of Chicago Press prefers its own rule as enunciated above... The Press is willing to accept other ways of handling these situations, however--if they are consistently followed throughout a manuscript. Often a logical consistency is easier to attain than the appearance of consistency, and the latter is important in good writing. __

* * *

__Translation: Pick a convention and stick with it! Whether you form the possessive as Sirius' or Sirius's, be consistent._

So I think I will just keep with Sirius', I hope you don't mind, because it will be more consistent and I will probably forget to add the extra 's' even if I did change it! Thanks very much for pointing that out though! J Although now Sirius' looks wrong! Eeep!I'm glad you liked the chapter, and the title- I couldn't think of a title, and then that came to me because I guess it's the whole message of the chapter really. Glad you enjoyed the DADA class. There will be another prank pretty soon- don't you worry! It's a surprise but! Hehe.

**Thehpgang- **Thank you! And thanks very much for reviewing every chapter, yay, loyal reviewers- gotta love 'em! Hehe. Well don't get your hopes up about when WPP find out about Remus, its nothing too flash, I've written it, but it is liable to change! ;) So, well you can look forward to it if you want! Thanks for your comments! Although there is still a lot of clichés to come, to say, as in the notorious Whomping willow prank, I can't seem to find a way to write that without being cliché! And the whole Lily/James thing.

**Elvengirl9- **Hehe, its nothing to worry about! Glad you liked the pumpkin nose thing! Maybe one day Remus will have his entertainment! Hehe. Maybe I should write that in somewhere, that _could _be wickedly amusing! evil grin Remus is corrupting me!! Hahahaha. It would be more believable if I said Sirius was corrupting me though! Ahem. Anywaaaayy. Glad you like the friendship development, I feel I have to show everyones friendship with each other because, well, they have to put up with one another for 7 years so they all had to get along and be great friends on some level. Although I am biased to Remus' & Sirius' friendship! Thanks again!

**Sun-Obsessed- **Thanks very much! I'm glad you like it! I always thought James was a seeker until I became aware of the interview where J.K said he was chaser.

**Erica- **Hehe. Woohoo! Yes I updated! I'm sorry for making you wait that long! I'll try not to do it again. Yay! Someone admitted that they love Peter as well! squees. Hehe. Well, I don't exactly love Peter, but I think he's neat as a student.

**Vivianpottergirl- **Thanks! Glad you like the transformations '_It's very unsettling, yet breathtakingly beautiful at the same time'_, well thanks very much, that is a really awesome way to describe it. Yes, I definitely have read 'Forever Alive' by Mordred, it's my _absolute _favourite MWPP story ever. It's just the most awesome story I've ever read in fanfiction. Anyway, thanks very much!

**Janet Lily- **Hehe. Yes, I finally updated! Glad you liked the whole Remus/James thing, I felt it was about time those two had a talk, instead of just Sirius & Remus all the time! Hehe. I think they all, even Sirius & Peter (as hard as it is to imagine) had a unique kind of friendship that showed them through their seven years at Hogwarts, I mean, _something _would have to develop out of seven years of living with someone! Glad I could enlighten you! Thanks very much!

**Gevaudan- **Thanks very much! Aww, that's too bad. Well, I hope you have a good time wherever you go! Take care!


	23. The Honking Daffodil

**Peter's Prattle:**

**Year 1972, 1st Year:**

**Quote of the Day:**_A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be_

The start of the New Year saw Remus, Sirius, James and I becoming very good friends. Well we had been very good friends before the New Year but over the whole year we had been there for each other, we shared nearly every lesson together, slept in the same dormitory and ate at the same table every day, so it was inevitable that we'd become close friends. I felt that with Remus and James especially I was becoming good friends. Remus and I shared a close friendship as James and Sirius were almost always together and they suited one another very well, and they nearly always paired together and whilst James and Sirius were spending so much time together Remus and I developed our own friendship. I also had a great friendship with James. I saw him as everything that I aspired to be, he was good at flying, good at almost every class like Transfiguration, Defence and Charms, and he was genuinely a great person.

Sirius and I were also friends but I felt that one of the sole reasons why we were friends was because we both had close friendships with James and Remus, and the fact that we shared a dormitory together. Other than that though it felt like we didn't have much in common except our love of mischief and pranks. Where Sirius was impulsive I was more careful. Where Sirius was loud and outspoken I was quiet and shy. We both were very different in almost every aspect. But we were all good friends and I loved having friends that I could rely on whenever I needed them. People who could watch over me if need be.

And so the months flew by with winter turning into spring and the flowers and gardens of Hogwarts in bloom and the hills surrounding the castle turning into a rich shade of emerald green. The cold month of February ended and March started and grew into April, when spring really started. The spring months were my favourite time of the year as it was the first good weather after the cold winter months. Even though it drizzled and was mild I still loved spring much more than winter.

With the blooming of spring Professor Sprout seemed very happy and she began to teach us about more advanced plants in Herbology. Herbology was my favourite subject, as I loved nature and plants and the months of spring, which saw the growth of new plants. I loved learning about different plants and their properties and found it very interesting. Sprout was also a great teacher and she seemed to encourage my love of Herbology, which I appreciated. Herbology was one of the few subjects that I was truly good at and I think it was because I liked it so much so I was good at it.

It was a mild spring day in April and James, Sirius, Remus and I was walking down to the greenhouses for the start of our Herbology lesson. James and Sirius were discussing Quidditch.

"What perfect weather to play Quidditch!" James commented as he looked longingly down at the lush green Quidditch pitch.

Sirius agreed. "It would be good to start flying again." Personally, whatever the weather, I knew _I _wouldn't be getting on a broomstick anytime soon. Not after what happened _last_ time.

"Wouldn't it though? I mean its _perfect_ weather. I wish they'd let first years play Quidditch!" James said. "I want to play!"

"Well you can't, so stop complaining" Remus said, though he was smiling.

"Yes Remus," James drawled.

"I wonder what we'll do in Herbology today," I said.

"Something got to do with plants," Sirius said blatantly, sounding as if the thought bored him. Sirius never really took to Herbology.

"Oh really?" Remus asked sarcastically, "I thought we might learn about horses."

"Horses?" Sirius grinned at Remus, "Well aren't you silly then?" he said grinning.

"Yes, silly me," Remus said sarcastically.

As we walked closer to our greenhouse strange honking noises could be heard coming from inside.

"What the _heck_ is that noise?" James asked, eyeing the greenhouse.

"I don't know, but it sounds potentially dangerous," Sirius commented.

"Since when are you scared of anything being potentially dangerous anyway?" I asked Sirius.

"I'm not, it's just that I don't fancy being bitten by some stupid plant again," Sirius replied.

"That's why you should have worn your gloves when Professor Sprout told you to," Remus said, laughing at him.

"Yes Professor Remus," Sirius said rolling his eyes at Remus.

Remus didn't comment however, as at that moment we had entered the greenhouse to see trays and trays of small numbered pots holding bright, yellow, orange and white flowering daffodils. These daffodils looked ordinary enough, but they definitely didn't _sound _ordinary. No, we were surprised to note that the strange honking noise was coming from the _daffodils_ themselves.

"Typical," Sirius cried over the incessant honking, "Couldn't she just show us the ordinary kind?"

James agreed. I however, thought the daffodils were great, even if they did make strange noises. Sirius covered his ears whilst Professor Sprout told the class, who had by now gathered around their desks, to put on earmuffs if the sound was getting too annoying for them. About half the class, Sirius and James included, reached for a pair of earmuffs.

"Today seeing as it's a lovely day I thought we'd have a bit of a break from the hard plants so we'll start of by fertilizing and watering these daffodils. The daffodils are the same as the normal type of flower, except this type of daffodil are special because they emit a honking noise, especially at spring time when they are in bloom," Professor Sprout told us.

"Do they honk for a reason?" Alinda Hazel, a blonde haired Hufflepuff asked over the noise of the daffodils.

"Well they honk to express their emotions, if they're happy, they emit a loud, high-pitched honk, but now, because they're in need of water and fertilizer they honk differently. They are a very unique type of plant." Professor Sprout told Alinda. "Right, the fertilizer and water are on your desks, now get to work," she told the class.

We set to work by fertilizing and watering the daffodils. Usually in Herbology we went in pairs or groups of four, and usually I paired with Remus and James and Sirius paired together, today it was the same and Remus and I set about fertilizing and watering one honking orange daffodil.

"They are quite cute in their own way," I said to Remus, looking down at the small daffodil, which seemed to have a mind and personality of its own.

Remus agreed as he watered the plant. I looked over to Sirius and James who had been neglecting their plant. Sirius was holding the watering can temptingly over the daffodil, which seemed to be stretching out as far as it could to get a bit of water. Then just as Sirius was about to pour water on the plant, he whipped the watering can behind his back and laughed at the daffodil.

I scowled at Sirius, he always neglected plants.

Then suddenly, as Sirius did this again, the daffodil let out a deafening honk and Sirius, in shock, fell over and landed on the watering can that he had dropped in his astonishment. James rolled about laughing, as did the rest of the class including Remus and I.

"Mr. Black! Stop playing games and do your work!" Professor Sprout said.

"It's not my fault! The daffodil's out to get me! It wants to blow my eardrums out!" Sirius said, half jokingly, whilst scowling at the daffodil.

"Mr. Black, if you don't take this class seriously then you will have to serve detention," Professor Sprout told Sirius.

"But I didn't _do _anything! The daffodil honked at _me_!" Sirius retorted.

"Right, I'm sorry Mr. Black but I have to give you detention," Professor Sprout said.

"What?! What for? I didn't do anything!"

"I don't tolerate lying in my class, nor do I tolerate you not looking after my plants properly, talking back or not taking the class seriously," Professor Sprout said.

"What?! I didn't lie!" Sirius said.

"That's another lie Mr. Black," Professor Sprout reminded him. "Now get back to work please."

Sirius, having no other choice, went back to work, scowling at the honking daffodil, which emitted a loud, happy sounding honk, which made Sirius even more irritated.

Remus and I watched all this with great amusement.

"He's always digging himself deeper, is Sirius," Remus laughed. I laughed and nodded as we finished fertilizing and watering our plant.

For the rest of the lesson we fertilized and watered more daffodils until the signal went for the end of the lesson.

Professor Sprout called Sirius to her desk to discuss detention and Remus, James and I filed outside to wait for Sirius.

"Honking daffodils… I'd never thought I'd see the day," James said as he wiped dirt from his hands.

"Well I liked them," I replied.

James and Remus smiled. Then Sirius came out of the greenhouse doorway, with a scowl on his face. In his hands he was holding none other than the honking daffodil plant that supposedly tried to blow his eardrums out before and a bag of fertilizer and a watering can.

"You know what she's making me do?!" Sirius cried loudly as he walked over to us.

Remus, James and I started laughing.

"What the hell are you all laughing at?" Sirius asked vociferously.

"Sirius," Remus cried, "You've still got your earmuffs on!" he said loudly, pointing to Sirius' ears.

"Oh," Sirius said in realization, and then he pulled his earmuffs off and walked back into the greenhouse before emerging seconds later.

"You idiot," James laughed as we made our way back to the castle.

"You know what Sprout's making me do?!" Sirius said again, ignoring James' comment.

"What?" I asked.

"She's making me look after this stupid plant for the rest of the week! And if I kill it or get rid of it then I get detention and points taken away!" Sirius said, sounding outraged.

We all laughed as the daffodil, as if knowing that Sirius had called it stupid, honked extra loud.

"Shut up you stupid plant!" Sirius said, only making it honk louder.

"Well at least you don't have to serve detention." I said to Sirius brightly. I quite liked the idea of having the daffodil in our dormitory.

"Believe me, I'd much rather serve a detention than look after this annoying thing," Sirius replied, looking at the plant in disgust.

"It won't be that bad though, it's not hard to look after a daffodil," I told Sirius.

"For _you_ maybe," Sirius replied, looking at me, "But this thing hates me, I can tell."

"Wonder why." Remus snorted derisively, as we entered the castle once again.

We walked through the corridors talking and laughing as we made our way to the Gryffindor tower. When we got to our dormitory Sirius instantly dumped the daffodil roughly onto the ground, the daffodil let out another honk.

"It's already getting on my nerves!" Sirius complained.

"Well if you put it on your bedside table or the windowsill maybe it wouldn't honk so much," I told him.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "No, it's staying on the floor. No _way_ is it going on my bedside table."

Nevertheless I plucked up the abandoned plant and placed it on the windowsill.

"Don't put it there! It'll keep me up all night! And it's right next to my bed!" Sirius complained.

"But it needs sunlight," I replied.

"Fine then. But if it makes any noise tonight it won't be there in the morning," Sirius warned.

"Remember what Professor Sprout said Sirius, you've got to look after the plant, not kill it," Remus said with a grin on his face. He, along with James, seemed to find the whole thing amusing.

"I don't care what she says. I need my beauty sleep you know," Sirius replied, running a hand through his hair.

James scoffed, "You? Beauty sleep? Sirius, I'm sorry to tell you this, but no amount of sleep is going to make _you _look any better," he said jokingly.

"What's wrong with the way I look? I'm dashingly handsome." Sirius waggled his eyebrow, "At least I don't have hair that looks like a birds nest," he laughed.

At that moment James jumped onto Sirius' bed, where Sirius was sitting, and started to punch him playfully. The two spent another five minutes scuffling.

"Say my hair does _not _look like a birds nest," James had Sirius in a headlock and was muffling his hair.

"All right! All right! You hair does not look like a birds nest…" Sirius said, and just as James said "That's better" and let go of him, Sirius said, "No, it looks more like a hedgehogs bum," Sirius laughed.

"That's it Black!" James cried, and began to punch Sirius again. They scuffled for a further five minutes.

"If you've quite finished," Remus said to the two who were still scuffling, "I think it's nearly time for dinner," he said.

Instantly, at the mention of dinner, the two stopped, stood up, and straightened their robes.

"Dinner time already?" James asked.

"No, I just said that so you'd stop being idiots," Remus replied.

"I think Remus is asking for it, don't you James?" Sirius said, looking sidelong at James.

"I think so," James agreed. Then all of a sudden the two jumped on Remus' bed and started to attack Remus.

"Peter! Help me!" Remus cried out in between giggles. Yes _giggles_.

Not wanting to leave Remus to the subjections of two crazy maniacs I jumped atop the bed and tried to help Remus.

Of course it didn't work and the four of us attacked anyone we could whilst laughing wildly. After a while we stopped and lay atop Remus' bed.

Remus checked his watch, "Now it really _is_ time for dinner," he said, standing up.

"Good, I was getting hungry," I replied.

"Me too," Sirius agreed.

"You two are always hungry," James said.

"Yeah whatever," Sirius said, standing up and filing out the door behind Remus.

Dinner went by uneventfully and soon enough we were all tired so we went up to bed.

As we opened the dormitory door we heard the daffodil honking loudly.

"Sirius, you forgot to water that daffodil," Remus said, as we entered the dorm.

"How much does it bloody drink?! I thought you only had to water plants once a day – or less," he said, as he picked up the watering can and poured water on the plant.

"Yes, but this one you have to water at least three times a day," I told him.

"Three times a _day_?! How greedy," Sirius replied, putting down the watering can.

"Well _you _eat three times a day don't you?" I said.

"Yes, but I need it, I'm a growing boy."

"Yes, and the plant is growing as well," I replied.

"Yeah, but I'm bigger than a plant".

Knowing this argument wasn't going anywhere I didn't reply.

We all got ready for bed and soon I climbed into my warm bed after saying goodnight to Remus, Sirius and James. The daffodil, for once, was quiet. I felt myself slipping into a peaceful sleep.

After what felt like only five minutes, I was awoken by a loud honking noise and someone cursing. I sat up and peered into the darkness. I made out the figure of Sirius standing near the windowsill.

"Shut up you stupid daffodil! I'm trying to sleep! Be quiet!" Sirius said, brandishing his fist at the plant.

"What's all the noise?" James too had been woken up. Remus, I noticed, was still asleep. He was a very deep sleeper. I, however was a light sleeper, so was James. Sirius was usually a deep sleeper as well.

"It's this daffodil! It won't shut up!" Sirius replied.

"Well give it some water or something!" James said.

"I already did! But it's still honking!" Sirius said.

"Well you better shut it up or the prefects will be in here," James said, over the noise.

"Hey Pete! Come over here," Sirius said, noticing that I had been awoken also, "you're good at Herbology. You should know what to do!"

I scrambled out of bed and over to the windowsill to inspect the plant. I put my hand in the pot and felt around, instantly knowing the problem, "Sirius! You've over watered it!"

"What?! But you said it _needed_ water three times a day!" Sirius replied.

"Yes, but not the whole watering can!" I said, picking up the pot.

"Well it needed water so I gave it bloody water!" Sirius replied.

I shook my head. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and someone outside yelled, "What's all this noise! Open the door!" I recognized the voice to be that of Thomas Weatherly, the Gryffindor prefect.

"Great!" Sirius said sarcastically as James scrambled out of his bed to open the door to reveal a very annoyed looking, and tired, prefect.

"What's all this noise?! People are trying to sleep!" Weatherly said as he strode into the room.

"It's this honking daffodil, it won't shut up!" Sirius said, pointing at the daffodil.

"Why have you got a daffodil in your dormitory anyway Black?!" Weatherly said, irritated.

"Because Professor Sprout is making me look after it for detention," Sirius said, sounding as if he thought that it was none of Weatherly's business.

"Well shut it up! We are trying to sleep! If it isn't quiet in five minutes you'll be sleeping with it outside!" Weatherly said, and then he marched out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Stupid bloody prat!" Sirius scowled after him.

I took the daffodil into the bathroom to drain the plant. After a while, it finally stopped honking. I took it back into the dormitory.

"There," I said as I placed it softly on the windowsill.

"Thanks a lot Pete," Sirius said, smiling at me. I think that was the first time that Sirius had ever thanked me for anything.

I looked over at James' bed and saw that he had already fallen asleep again, sprawled out on top of his blankets. I looked up at Sirius and smiled back.

"That's all right," I replied.

"Now we better get some sleep or we'll be dead on our feet tomorrow," Sirius said, as he slapped me on the back and walked back over to his bed. I nodded and made my way over to my bed and climbed under the warm covers where I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

The next few days went by without much action, Sirius tried to look after the honking daffodil as best he could, but he was always doing something wrong, such as not giving it enough water (he wasn't game to over water it since what happened last time), putting too much fertilizer on it, or forgetting about it.

I was just glad that Sirius did not have a pet to look after, and found it no surprise that his family's owl – Zade – hated him. I was surprised that the daffodil had actually survived four days under Sirius' care, partly; the only reason why the daffodil had survived was that I had tended to it after Sirius made a mistake with it. I watered it when Sirius under watered it, I fertilized it when Sirius forgot and I put it in the sun when Sirius left it in the corner. I didn't want to the plant to die because Sirius forgot about it. So that's how it got through the week under Sirius' care.

It was a Sunday and I was walking back to the Gryffindor tower from my walk around the grounds. Today was the last day that Sirius would have to look after the daffodil, he had to return it tomorrow morning to Professor Sprout, and if it was in good condition, his detention was served. If it weren't, however, then he'd have to serve actual detentions. I knew that this wouldn't happen though, as the daffodil was still in good condition, no thanks to Sirius though. He really had no idea how to look after plants properly.

When I arrived at the common room I found no sign of Remus, Sirius or James. Thinking that they must be in our dormitory, I made my way up the stairs towards our room. When I got near to the door I could hear someone talking. It was Sirius, but I wasn't sure who he was talking to exactly. I listened carefully.

"You've been quite annoying, you know, nearly made me get _more _detentions than I have already, which is something I don't really need right now, even if mine and James' bet is still on. I've still got those detentions with Crevan as well. The stupid prat. Ah well," Sirius trailed off. I wondered who he could be talking to. If it were James or Remus they would have said something by now.

I decided to make my presence known, so I pushed open the door and stood in the doorway. Sirius, who had been sitting on his bed and looking at the daffodil on the windowsill (had he been talking to the _daffodil_?), got such a shock that he jumped off his bed and ran a hand through his hair, looking sheepishly at me as if he was guilty of something.

"Peter! You scared the hell out of me! Don't sneak around like that! I could have been doing something private you know!" Sirius said.

"Sorry," I said genuinely.

"It doesn't matter. Just don't do it ever again," Sirius replied, sitting back down on his bed slowly and looking around.

I sat on my bed silently. We sat there in an awkward silence for a while. I scratched my nose, and then finally asked quietly, "Were you talking to the plant?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair again, and looked at me strangely, "Well, I wasn't like having a _conversation_ with it, if that's what you're asking…"

"Is that because it can't talk back?" I asked slowly, a grin forming on my lips.

"You- what, see, it wasn't like that, I was-"

"Talking to a plant?"

"No! Well, yes, but I'm not mad you know," Sirius said quickly, "I was just, you know," Sirius looked around awkwardly.

"Sirius, it's okay. I do it all the time," I replied.

Sirius looked at me, "You do?"

"Yes, well, plants are alive aren't they? It's just like when James talks to his owl," I said.

"Yeah, you're right," Sirius grinned at me, "though I suppose I sounded like a bit of an idiot."

"Well, we all do sometimes," I said quietly.

"True." Sirius replied, "Hey, listen Peter, I wanted to give you this," Sirius turned to the windowsill and held the daffodil towards me.

"The _plant_? What? But it's not yours to give," I said, surprised.

"No it's all right. I went to see Professor Sprout today and with my gorgeous face and boyish charms I convinced her to let me give it to you, and she said yes," Sirius grinned.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah,"

"But don't you want to keep it?"

"No, well, I've grown to like it this past week but it would die if I kept it, besides, you deserve it more than me, I couldn't have kept it alive if you didn't care for it after I over watered it and under watered it. Take it," Sirius said as he held out the plant towards me.

I took the daffodil into my hands. "Thanks Sirius," I said genuinely.

"You deserve it Pete," Sirius replied.

"Could I put it on the windowsill?" I asked, "It seems to like it there."

"Sure," Sirius said smiling.

"Thanks," I said, placing the daffodil on the windowsill, where it basked in the spring sunshine.

"So where are James and Remus?" I asked as I sat back down on my bed.

"Remus went to the Owlery and James went to watch the Gryffindor team train," Sirius replied.

"Why didn't you go with James?" I asked.

"I had to go see Sprout, plus I didn't feel like watching them today," Sirius replied.

"Oh," I said. I realized at that moment that Sirius and I had never really been alone together for more than ten minutes, Remus or James had always been with us and we'd talk as a threesome or foursome. I also realized that we had never really had a proper conversation together either, about important stuff like family, where we lived, or other things. I knew only so much that I'd seen about Sirius' family, I knew that they were quite horrible, as Sirius' Howlers had more than indicated. But I didn't know that much else about him than that, and he probably knew less about me.

"So, what do you feel like doing?" Sirius asked.

"Well, I don't know really…" I replied, casting around in my mind for an idea, anything to do, or something to say.

Sirius let out a short laugh.

"What?" I asked. What could possibly be funny?

"Well, it's just that, we've never really _talked, _have we? I mean, properly talked, heck, I don't know the first thing about you and we've been living in the same dorm for months." Sirius answered.

"Yeah…" I couldn't think of anything to say to that. "Well, we've never really had the chance to, you know, Remus or James are always around, or, you know. We don't really have that much in common…" I said.

"Except Remus and James. We're both good friends with them. Pete, you don't need things in common to be friends with someone; it's preferable, but not essential. And we're friends, aren't we?" Sirius raised his eyebrow at me.

"Yes, of course." I replied.

"So why can't we talk then? Why does this feel so bloody… _weird_?" Sirius said, running a hand through his hair and stating the obvious.

"I don't know." I replied unhelpfully.

At that moment the daffodil plant let out a particularly deafening honk. Sirius and I both jumped about ten feet in the air in shock. We traded a quick glance and in an instant I couldn't hold it in any longer, both Sirius and I started laughing, and once we started we couldn't stop, it was like a never-ending cycle of vicious laughter. I felt my whole body shake and the laughter rise from the very pit of my stomach.

We howled and shook with laughter, we laughed our heads off, (not literally), our faces were wet with tears of laughter, and I slapped my fists on the bed and laughed as hard as I could. It was the most I'd ever laughed in a while. The funny thing was that I wasn't even sure of exactly _what_ we were laughing at, and neither, it appeared, did Sirius. It was a mixture of things I think, the combined situation of awkwardness between Sirius and I, and then the daffodil honk, and then both of us jumping about ten feet in the air at the sudden and loud noise. And when you think about it, the concept of a daffodil honking _is_ rather hilarious. Especially if you look at it from a Muggle point of view. It seems absurd.

_And_ hilariously funny.

We were still laughing when James and Remus returned to the dormitory. Upon entering they looked at us as if we had both lost our minds.

"Um, are you two okay?" James asked with amusement.

"It was… It was…" Sirius tried to explain in between bursts of laughter, "The daffodil, it honked – so loud! And it was hilarious… so funny!" he said, then proceeded to laugh again. I joined him.

"Er. Okaaaaayy. _Normal_…" Remus said, staring at us both.

"No… you had to be here… it's so funny… right Pete?" Sirius asked me, chortling. I nodded as Sirius proceeded to tell the hilarious story which didn't seem that hilarious to James and Remus when he finished.

"So, let me get this straight," Remus said when Sirius had finished explaining, "You two were sitting here and all of a sudden the daffodil honked very loudly and that's what you find so amusing?"

At that we both started laughing again.

"Remus," James and Remus looked at each other with raised eyebrows and then gazed back at us, "I think a trip to St. Mungo's is in order. Don't you?"

"Definitely James…" Remus grinned, "Most certainly," he added.

And that just made the four of us start laughing insanely again.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Look, I've updated twice in the same month! Haha. New record. And seeing as I did, I would really love you forever if you reviewed! :)

**Lupin Lover99- **Wow! Thanks very very very much!! I really do appreciate it! It's a pleasure to write it, so thank you very much, and getting reviews like yours makes it all worthwhile. :)

**Sapphire Dragon- **Thanks very much!:) Thanks very very much about the next J.K thing, I really appreciate it, it makes me happee! Haha. Thanks! I think it's very cool that you and your friends are like the Marauders, you can find Marauder comparisons everywhere and it's great because almost everyone can identify with at least one of them and how they feel, I absolutely love Sirius but I identify very much with Remus. Your friend Nicky does sound like Sirius- tasting crazy things, I can totally imagine Sirius doing that, putting all this food together that would taste disgusting together, and I can imagine him actually liking it as well! Haha. And Hanna, Thea and you sound very much like Peter, James and Remus. Go the Marauders! Oh how I love them so. Hehe. Thanks very much again for your review, I'm glad that you can identify yourselves with the marauders, especially in my story. Yay! J

**Cindered-hope- **(cool name btw!) Thanks very much! Glad you liked the last line and you love the fic! Yay. And thanks for the one year anniversary! I didn't realize until you told me! Wow, its been a year and I'm still not done with first year. O.O. Oh dear! Thanks very much again! hugs

**Brenngt14- **Thanks very much!:) I used to think everyone liked Sirius the best as well, but there are a huge no. of Remus lovers out there as well. Ah, its so hard to choose with those two! They're both awesome. Yep, Malfoy definitely is a slimy bug, hehe. Yes, the seventh years aren't that stupid really, once Sirius showed them how awesome he really is.

**Gevaudan- **Glad you got to catch this one before you went! Thanks very much and I do hope you keep up with this too! :)

**Thehpgang- **Yeah, I know it was pretty soon, I couldn't help it! Hehe. I loved Sirius curse Malfoy as well, he deserved every minute of it! Hehe. I love when Sirius & James get together, they _are _very funny together, its one of the funnest things to write about besides Remus & Sirius together- that's fun to write about too. Glad you like it, thanks again!

**Erica- **Thanks very much! I'm glad you liked the chapter, it was just a nice Christmassy chappie. Yes I agree that Peter was part of the Marauders and deserves to be written about because they wouldn't have included him on the map if he wasn't their friend. Thanks again!

**Paddfoot-911- **Thanks very much! Yes it was very Christmassy, wasn't it? Yes, Sirius _is _just that cool- cursing Malfoy. Hehe.

**JanetLily- **Hehe, yes it was pretty fast- wasn't it? I thought I'd update a bit quicker this time. Well I wanted James to stay back for Sirius for Christmas – Sirius certainly wouldn't have gone back home and James thought it would be a nice thing to do, and it gave me a chance to write about their friendship on their own. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks very much again! :)

**Beansie- **Yes, it was funny, haha, you read it at school – well they'll just have to get over you laughing, wont they? Heh. It's a free country. I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, it was a bit like The Silly Season, but I can just imagine Sirius plucking tinsel from somewhere and covering someone in it – much to their chagrin. Hehe. I'm glad you think Sirius getting a camera is true blue Marauderism – I love the idea of Sirius having a camera, actually I wrote about it in one of my other stories (I haven't posted that one) and its got a whole thing about his camera and photo's, and well, I might inject it into this story somehow, it would certainly be fun and I can imagine Sirius doing it. You're totally right about Remus & the full moon chapters, I hadn't really realized it until you told me, but you're very much right, and don't worry I already have the next chap written and it's written by Remus and its not a full moon chapter- its about 43 pages long though!!!! Haha. So I won't post it all together.About the Jocunda Sykes thing, no I don't mind, she's not my character I just used her name & what little we know about her - I'm quite sure that they'll (our Jocunda Sykes') have totally different characters anyway! Thanks again! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and bug-Malfoy!!

**Anarane- **That's fine about not reviewing chap 21! Just glad you reviewed this one :)Glad you liked the dream thing. Yes, I admire James; he's really great like that, doing things like that for Sirius when he could have easily gone home. Wow, I'm glad you love the endings! I can't help but end a chapter in a nice and final way, it may seem to get repetitive but I cant help it! And they teach you something as well so that's great to know. I'm glad you like my endings! Yay! Someone likes my endings! Hehe. Thanks again!

**Vivianpottergirl- **Thanks very very much! J grins I really don't know what to say to that! I loved your review, it made my day, I really do appreciate your words._'This Memoir is beautifully written, enveloped together by simplicity and the beauty of thought and humour.' _That is just wow!! Beautiful. Thank you very very much! It sounds like the reviews from the blurb of a book- that is a _great_ thing by the way! squees Thanks!! :)

**MoNiKa BaTcH- **Thanks very much! I'm really glad you like it and find it interesting! Keep reading! :)


	24. Birthday Plans And Questioned Friendship...

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize is from the HP universe and belongs to J.K Rowling, Warner Bros and Scholastic respectively.

**Author's Notes: **This chapter is dedicated to **Ela /** **Padfoot's Mate**.

**

* * *

****Year 1972, First Year**

**Remus Rants:**

**Quote of the Day:** _'A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad' – or – in Sirius' case – makes fun of your jokes when they're not so good and laughs at your problems when they're not so bad. It is this that makes a friend all the better…_

It was a couple of days after the Easter holidays and the last term had already started.

Sirius, James, Peter and I were in History of Magic, talking about Sirius' birthday, which was next week. Nearly everyone had given up on listening to Professor Binns at all, as he was extremely boring; even _I_ had to admit that. It was also a couple of days after the full moon so I felt too tired to copy down notes anyway.

I could always get someone else's notes either way, as I had made other friends besides James, Sirius and Peter. I had made friends with Lily Evans and a couple of other first years, as we came to know each other whilst on library visits.

"So what do you want to do for your birthday?" James asked Sirius who was sitting in between James and I, Peter was on my other side.

"What do I _want _to do? Well, I want to throw a huge party and invite the whole school, except the Slytherins and teachers and people that I don't like, and there would be heaps and heaps of food and beverages and magic little pixies flying around, and lights everywhere and gnomes dressed up in party hats. That is what I _want_." Sirius dreamed.

James and I exchanged grins. Sirius always thought of the most eccentric ideas. "O-kaaaaay, let me _rephrase_ that, what would you like to do that is within our ability to do?" James asked.

"Well, if you put it _that _way. I really don't know." Sirius answered simply.

"Well what'd you do for your birthday last year?" Peter asked.

"Sat at home by myself celebrating that I'd be free of Grimmauld Place."

"Oh."

A short silence followed.

"Well leave it up to us then," I said suddenly, "we'll surprise you," I added, without thinking. James raised his eyebrows at me. I don't know what came over me exactly, but I wanted Sirius to have a better birthday than last year and I knew how miserable his family made him at the best of times, I wanted to show him that _we_ were his family.

"We will?" Peter asked.

"Of _course_ we will," James confirmed.

Sirius beamed, "Great!"

"Do you have any special requests Mr. Black?" James asked.

"Gnomes with party hats?"

"Er, anything _other _than gnomes with party hats… Somehow I don't think they'd consent to the whole party hat thing."

"Well, no, not really. Surprise me." Sirius said brightly.

"You got it," James replied, and then the signal went for the end of class.

"What's now?" Peter asked as we gathered our gear and shoved them into our bags.

"Potions" I replied, standing up and shouldering my bag. I was not in the mood for a Potions lesson at all. I've never liked Potions, mainly because I wasn't very good at it, which Professor Crevan incessantly liked to remind me about. Crevan was always like that to me. The fact that I was a werewolf made him hate me even more and he never stopped annoying Sirius about pureblood gripe. The strange thing was that he treated Peter and James fine; he actually pretended to like them just to spite Sirius I think. Whatever it was, he definitely only pretended to like James and Peter. And they bought it.

Crevan is a sly old fox.

Sirius groaned, "I hate Potions, and bloody Crevan."

My thoughts exactly.

"Oh it's not so bad," James said as we made our way out of the room and into the corridors, "Crevan's not _that_ bad."

"Yeah, to _you _maybe. But he's always annoying me! All he does is talk about pureblood crap and how bad I am for not embracing it! I'm really sick of it," Sirius said. "And he treats Remus like crap too," Sirius added.

"Well he's fine to us," Peter said.

"Only to spite me," Sirius replied.

"Sirius, in case you hadn't noticed mate, not _everything _revolves around you, you know," James said with a grin.

"How do _you_ know? It might," Sirius replied as we entered the dungeons.

"In your dreams maybe," James commented. They bantered like this until we entered Professor Crevan's dungeon and took our seats.

"Today we'll be brewing a forgetfulness potion which is a potion that can make a person forget things, it is often a potion that comes up in exams, so pay close attention," At this Professor Crevan waved his wand at the blackboard where the instructions and ingredients for the forgetfulness potion appeared.

"There are the instructions, you have your ingredients and cauldrons, now get to work," Crevan ordered.

I set about preparing my ingredients and set up my cauldron. I made sure to follow the instructions carefully this time, so that nothing bad would happen and I wouldn't wreck my potion. But it was proving hard as Sirius kept on talking and I wasn't in my best spirits because of the full moon. I felt weary and the bruises and scratches on my arms did nothing to help the situation.

"So have you made any decisions for my birthday yet?" Sirius asked eagerly as he frivolously threw ingredients into his cauldron and set it to boil.

"No, it's been about ten minutes Sirius, we haven't discussed anything yet – you won't let us – with all the blabbering your doing," I replied.

"Well, I'm excited is all," Sirius said brightly, stirring his potion.

I finished cutting my daisy roots and put them in the cauldron with the rest of my ingredients then set it to boil.

Just then Crevan walked over to us, "Black, concentrate on your work."

"I _was_ Professor," Sirius replied, glowering.

"You were gossiping with Lupin," Crevan eyed my potion and sniffed, though he didn't make any comments. He then turned to James' cauldron.

"Very good Potter," he said, "Maybe you two should take a leaf out of your friends' books and learn how to brew potions properly." Crevan said as he smiled sinisterly, "Lupin, yours is far too thin." he said, before making his way over to Severus Snape's potion and praising it.

"I'll show _him_ who's gossiping," Sirius replied with a glare at Crevan.

"Maybe you _should _take a leaf out of my book," James grinned.

"Maybe you should shut up Potter," Sirius replied.

"Maybe you should make me,"

"Maybe I will,"

"Maybe you both should be quiet before I tip this potion down your throats," I replied dryly, "Trust me, you don't want that to happen." I added.

"Oooh," Sirius said, "Hear that James? Remus is threatening us."

I didn't comment, rather I tried to figure out what was wrong with my potion. I was sure I'd put all the ingredients in, and I followed the instructions, so why was it thinner than the others? I spent the rest of the lesson boiling my potion in hope to make it thicker, but it didn't work, it was still hopelessly thin. Sirius' was a strange brownish yellow colour because he threw his ingredients in without a care in the world and didn't even look at the instructions but copied what James was doing – he can't even copy things right. Heh.

"Why is my potion this foul colour?" he asked, looking at his potion and screwing up his nose.

"Because you can't brew potions for shite?" James suggested.

"Very funny James," Sirius replied.

"All right," Crevan was now standing at his desk, "Your forgetfulness potions should be finished by now. They should be turquoise in colour and thick in consistency, if they're not, then they are wrong," Crevan said sharply. "Put a sample of your potions in your test jar and bring them to me please."

Well, there was nothing else to be done about it, I had to give a sample of my potion to Crevan, and he'd see that it was too thin and make some derogative comment about it and my potion making skills – that – and lecturing Sirius, seemed to be his favourite pastime.

I scooped a sample of my forgetfulness potion and ladled it into my jar, and then I went to give it to Crevan with James, Sirius and Peter.

"What is _this_, Lupin?" Crevan asked, holding up my potion for everyone to see.

"It's forgetfulness potion, Sir," I replied.

"Indeed?" he said, eyeing my sample, "It's as thin as water Lupin. Tell me, did you put your horned slugs in here, or did you perhaps _forget_?" he asked, twisting the jar in his fingers.

I looked at my working space, and sure enough there were two horned slugs sitting on the bench that I had carelessly overlooked. I had forgotten about the slugs, after meticulously making the potion I had forgotten one of the key ingredients. My face burned, but I was not about to be ridiculed by Crevan

"I forgot, Sir," I replied.

"How ironic," he said sharply.

"I've not been feeling my best, _Sir_," I said, glaring at him.

"Yes, so I've heard." Crevan rolled his eyes at me, "You must find it _so _hard Lupin. With your… problems," Crevan said sarcastically. I looked at him in disbelief. How could he say such things, and in front of the whole class! Sure he knew about my condition but that gave him no right, absolutely no right, to talk about it so freely in front of my classmates! What would people say? What would James, Sirius and Peter say? What could _I _possibly say to cover it up!

I thought quickly, searching for a reply, "What problems would they be, Sir?" I said quickly.

"You know exactly what, Lupin." Crevan said quietly so that no one else heard. "You will write me two rolls of parchment about the importance of horned slugs to various potions. Now go back to your desk." he said as he took Sirius' sample.

I couldn't believe it. How could he almost mention my condition to the whole classroom! And then giving me homework!

I worried about what I would tell the others to cover this whole thing up and was still worrying about it when the bell rang.

"Man I hate Crevan!" Sirius said as we exited the dungeon. "He's making me write two whole rolls of parchment on how to make bloody forgetfulness potions!" Sirius said, outraged. Hopefully Sirius was too caught up in his own problems that he wouldn't mention what Crevan had said to me.

But no such luck.

"And see how he treated Remus?" Sirius said, as he looked at me, "What _was _he talking about, when he said that you must find it hard with your problems?" Sirius asked, looking at me. I could feel Peter and James looking at me also.

"I have no idea…" I lied. I tried. I knew it was a horrible lie, but there was nothing else to do about it.

Sirius raised his eyebrow at me. "He seemed to think you knew what he was talking about."

"Well I don't. Unless… He was probably talking about me having to go visit my mother, and how she's been very sick. Maybe that's what he was talking about. Or how I've been a bit sick lately." I half-lied, hoping they'd believe me.

"If you say so," Peter said, as we walked up to the Great Hall to dinner. Sirius, however, looked at me as if he didn't believe me. I knew he didn't, but he didn't pursue the subject, thankfully.

"Hey I have an idea for my birthday!" Sirius said as we entered the bustling Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Oh no," I joked, as I put some potatoes on my plate.

"No, not 'oh no'. I have an idea. How about we do a massive prank on everyone! How much fun would that be?" Sirius said excitedly.

"How big are we talking?" Peter asked, shoving food into his mouth.

"_Really_ big. We could prank the whole school at dinner or something! Imagine the possibilities! Oh and we could get the Slytherins! And the teachers! Imagine Crevan!" Sirius nearly wet his pants with excitement. (It's a metaphor.)

Hopefully…

"Is that what you really want?" I asked.

"_Hell_ yes!" Sirius said, talking with his mouth full of chicken.

"Sirius, I do not need to see your mashed up dinner, now please close your mouth," I replied.

"What was that Remus?" Sirius asked, his mouth wide open.

"Sirius!" I said closing my eyes, annoyed.

"What sort of prank though?" James asked.

"Something big," Sirius replied.

"You said that already," Peter said.

"Perhaps with glitter and streamers, _ooh_, and fireworks!" Sirius said excitedly.

"_Fireworks_?" I looked at him incredulously, "And where do you propose we get fireworks from?"

"Don't you worry about that Mr. Lupin. I have my contacts," he replied, winking at me.

"Do I even _want_ to know?" I said, shaking my head. Actually, I was wondering exactly _who _Sirius could bribe into getting us fireworks. Obviously you could get fireworks from Zonko's, but first years weren't allowed to go into Hogsmeade, only third years and over were allowed. Maybe it was someone in third year or over. It had to be, I thought as I chewed on my chicken.

"Probably not," James replied.

"Oh how fun is this going to be! We could start a whole new tradition! And every year on the 27th of April, the whole school will fear because the notorious Sirius Black and his sidekicks will have struck again!"

"How come we're _your _sidekicks?" James said.

"Because clearly, I'm the most intelligent, good-looking, charming and devious one of the whole group, therefore it should be named after me," Sirius grinned.

"Devious- I'd agree with. But 'charming', 'good-looking' and even '_intelligent', _now that's going a bit _too _far," I laughed.

Sirius poked his tongue out at me, "Well what do _you_ propose we call ourselves then Remus?"

I thought for a while. "I don't know… The Pranksters of Hogwarts?" I half-heartedly suggested.

"Wow. That's original." Sirius said sarcastically.

"Well its better than 'Sirius Black and his sidekicks'!" I retorted.

"I don't think so, my idea was better. James what do you think?"

"Sirius, we are _not _going to be called 'Sirius Black and his sidekicks'," I grinned, Sirius pouted, "_Or _the pranksters of Hogwarts." Sirius smirked at me, "Sirius is right, we need something more original. Something that will strike fear in the hearts of our enemies!" James said, I don't know if he was being serious or not.

I hope not.

"Well what do _you_ propose Almighty Potter?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

"How about- The Potter Purveyors of Peril," James suggested. This was too much. I burst out laughing.

"What?" James said, annoyed. By now Sirius was also laughing. Peter seemed to like James' idea.

"_That _sounds ridiculous!" I said, laughing.

"_The Potter Purveyors of Peril_! Ahahahhahahahhaa," Sirius laughed, "That will _surely_ make our enemies shake in their boots," he added sarcastically.

"Well it's original and the peril bit sounds scary," James said, trying to defend his honour.

Which made things even funnier.

"If we can't have _my _name in it then yours isn't going in it either," Sirius said, still laughing.

"Fine then. But mine was the best so far." James said, "Well Peter, it's up to you, what do you suggest?" James asked, looking at Peter.

"I liked your idea James."

James beamed. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"See, at least someone appreciates my witty intellect," James said.

"Is that what they call it these days?" Sirius smirked. James poked his tongue out at him.

"So Pete, what's your suggestion?" I asked.

"What about: The Magical Mischief Makers?" Peter suggested.

"Not bad," James said.

I agreed, it wasn't bad.

"At least it sounds better than Sirius' idea," I said.

"I like my idea better," Sirius said.

"Of course you do," I replied.

"Well let's just think about it for the meantime seeing as we can't decide," I said, finishing up my dinner. By now everyone else was also finishing the last of their meals.

"Well, I'm going to the library for a while. I have to do that essay for Crevan by tomorrow," I said, standing up.

"Is that due tomorrow?" Sirius asked.

"Well mine is, so yours probably would be as well, it wouldn't hurt you to do some work," I said.

"I don't feel like it. Crevan can shove his essay where the sun doesn't shine." Sirius replied.

"What was that Mr. Black?" A voice said behind Sirius.

It was McGonagall. She had come up behind Sirius while he was talking, without him knowing it. Sirius turned around, "Oh, Professor McGonagall! What a _lovely_ surprise! How nice to see you! I was just telling Remus how Crevan gave me an essay and I wanted to do it when the sun isn't shining so bright."

If McGonagall weren't standing there frowning at Sirius I would have burst out laughing.

I looked at McGonagall, it looked as if she had the hint of a smile on her lips, "I'm quite aware of what you said Mr. Black. However, that's not why I'm here. Mr. Lupin, Professor Dumbledore would like to talk to you in his office," McGonagall said looking at me.

Dumbledore wanted to see me? What for, I wondered. Maybe it had something to do with my transformations. Or maybe, I thought, he had heard about what happened in Potions today.

"Yes, Professor," I said.

"Follow me then," McGonagall said, and then walked off.

I looked at Sirius, James and Peter, who were all looking at me curiously, then without another word I followed McGonagall.

We made our way through the corridors until we came to the large statue that guarded the entrance to the Headmasters office. I had been in Dumbledore's office once before, that was at the start of the year, on the very first night, when he told me what the arrangements would be for my transformations.

"Cauldron cakes," McGonagall said to the gargoyle, which instantly sprang to life and gave way to reveal a stone staircase.

"You can go up by yourself Mr. Lupin, I must see to some detentions now," McGonagall said, and then walked off.

I stepped onto the staircase, which started revolving, and stopped after a while. In front of me was a shiny oak door. I stepped off the stairs and knocked on the door with the brass doorknocker.

"Enter," Professor Dumbledore's voice came from inside.

I pushed the door open to see Dumbledore sitting at his desk, reading the Evening Prophet.

"Ah, Remus, good to see you. Please sit down," Dumbledore said in a kindly voice, his eyes on the paper in front of him.

I sat down at his desk.

"Professor," I replied, not knowing what other way I should greet him.

Dumbledore put the paper down on his desk and smiled, "I just wanted to see how your transformations were going." He said, his blue eyes gazing into my own.

"They're… the same as usual…" I replied.

"Are they getting better or worse, do you think?" Dumbledore asked.

I thought for a while, "Well… there's sometimes when I think they're getting better, and I can cope a little better, then all of a sudden I would have one terrible transformation…" I said truthfully.

"That's bound to happen. You seem a lot happier when it's not the full moon though, Remus, and I think if your happier then your transformations will be a little better," Dumbledore smiled at me kindly.

"Sometimes… sometimes when I'm around Sirius, James and Peter I can completely forget about my transformations… sometimes… I feel normal," I said. This was the first time I had ever confided in anyone about this. But if there was anyone who could keep a secret, it was Dumbledore. It felt good to talk to someone about it.

"I see," he smiled again, "But what _is _normal? I don't think anyone is ever truly _normal_; they always have something that makes them unique. Your being a werewolf makes you unique. No one person is the same, Remus. Therefore no one is normal. Not even the person that you always thought was the most normal person you've ever met." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he looked at me.

I had never even thought of it that way. No one is truly normal. How right he was! How, I wondered, had I never realized this for myself?

"You never thought about it in such a way?" Dumbledore regarded me, as if reading my mind.

"No, I never have." I replied.

"So your transformations are on track." Dumbledore said.

"Yes," I replied.

"The other thing that I wanted to talk to you about was that Professor Bones will be escorting you to the shack every full moon from now on. Madam Pomfrey feels that this is a safer precaution. Of course Madam Pomfrey will still pick you up afterwards."

I nodded. I didn't mind that Professor Bones would be escorting me from now on; I got along with him well. As long as it wasn't Crevan I was happy.

"That's all I wanted to see you about. Is there anything else you needed to talk to me about Remus?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

I thought for a moment.

"Professor, does _all _of the staff know about my condition?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid so Remus. It was my job to inform them."

I nodded.

"Is there a problem?"

"…No Professor. I was just wondering."

"Very well then."

This seemed to indicate that the conversation was over, so I stood up and made my way out of Dumbledore's office. Once I was back out into the corridors again I started to think as I made my way to the library.

I still had to finish the essay on horned slugs that Crevan had given me. I didn't know why I didn't tell Dumbledore about Crevan nearly revealing my secret, I think it was because I thought that I could deal with it on my own. I didn't want to be the whistleblower. And it seemed like a petty complaint anyway, one which Crevan would most definitely deny.

After I finished my essay for Crevan I made my way back to the Gryffindor tower.

When I got to the dormitory I found Sirius, James and Peter all sitting up and discussing what sort of prank they could pull for Sirius' birthday.

"What took _you_ so long?" Sirius asked as I closed the door and sat on the end of my bed.

"I was talking to Dumbledore then I had to go finish my essay," I replied.

"What did Dumbledore want to talk to you about anyway?" Peter asked.

"Nothing much really," I replied.

"You're so secretive Remus," Sirius said, eyeing me.

"I am not." It was a complete lie, and I knew it.

So did James, Sirius and Peter.

"Yes you are, see – me and James here," Sirius nodded towards James, "-we tell each other a lot of stuff, you don't tell us anything," he said.

"Well, maybe there's some stuff that I want to keep to myself," I replied.

"Have it your way then," Sirius replied dismissively.

"So have you decided on a prank yet?" I asked, changing the subject.

"No, Sirius can't make his mind up, he wants to do everything, greedy blighter," James said, leaning back on his bed and putting his hands beneath his head.

"Well it has to be simple, we can't do very advanced spells yet," I said.

"How about we just let off a whole bunch of fireworks in the middle of dinner in the Great Hall, that could be highly amusing," James said.

"Yeah, but what else can we do?" Sirius said.

"What else do you want to do?" Peter asked.

"Well, the fireworks can act as a distraction, while those are going off we could do something else," Sirius said.

"Such as?" I said.

"I don't know, I'm thinking…"

"Well you think about it, I'm going to bed," I said, and started to get changed. The others followed my lead and got changed as well. I climbed into my warm bed. I felt exhausted, I was still recovering from the transformation, and the day had been a long one. I slowly felt myself drifting off to sleep, until-

"I got it!" Sirius' triumphant voice came from behind his curtained bed.

"What?" James moaned.

"I know what else we can do while the fireworks are going off!" Sirius said.

"Be quiet and go to sleep!" I said.

"No, I've got a great idea! We can let some Cornish pixies loose in the Great Hall as well! Can you imagine it! Cornish pixies and fireworks! What a great mixture!"

_And_ a potentially fatal one, I added in my mind.

"Don't you think that's a great idea, James? Remus? Pete?"

"Yes Sirius" we all groaned.

"Don't sound so excited," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Well it would sound like a much better idea if you put it to us in the morning, not in the middle of the night when we're all half asleep," I said tiredly.

"I can't wait for my birthday!" Sirius said, ignoring my protests. It was to this that I finally fell asleep to.

* * *

The next couple of days went by fairly quickly; when we weren't in classes we were planning the prank that we would play for Sirius' birthday. Well, Sirius and James were determined to plan the prank even when we were in class as well, so they relied on me to get all the notes down. It was a couple of days before Sirius' birthday, and James, Peter and I were all sitting on our beds in our dormitory, it was just after dinner time and Sirius had gone to meet his 'contact' to see if the fireworks and pixies were all in order. He still hadn't told us who was supplying them. 

"So what are we going to do after the prank then?" Peter asked, as he flicked through a Defence Against the Dark Arts book unenthusiastically.

"Well obviously all Sirius wants to do is eat and drink." James said, "A lot," he added.

"But are we going to invite anyone else up here or are we going to have it by ourselves. And where is it going to be? What are we going to do?" Peter asked.

"Well I was thinking that it should just be us four. It's his first birthday at Hogwarts and we don't want people making too much noise." I said.

"True. It should just be us four. I think Sirius wouldn't mind either way. We probably should just have it up here as well." James said.

"Yeah." Peter said.

"We could just give him our presents and a cake up here then, and have some food here or something," I said.

"Yes. I think that's the best idea." James replied, "But let's not say anything to Sirius. We're meant to surprise him anyway," James said, then continued, "Well, I'll go and see the house elves to see if they'll supply the food." James stood up.

It did seem like a long shot, to ask the house elves for extra food, but the house elves seemed quite willing to give away their food to anyone who poked their head in the doorway of the kitchens. And we had become acquainted with quiet a few of the house elves since we had discovered the kitchens.

"Anyone want to come?" James asked, pulling on his shoes.

"I can't." Peter answered, annoyed, "I've got to finish my Defence homework."

"Remus?" James asked, looking at me.

I considered the offer for a moment. There was nothing better to do, I thought, and seeing as I had finished all my homework for the day, I took up the offer.

"Yeah, I'll come then." I said, as James pulled his trusty Invisibility cloak out of his trunk.

Once we had said our goodbyes to Peter and had made sure we were completely covered under the cloak we set off down the dormitory stairs into the common room and out of the portrait hole into the chilly night.

"So do you think Sirius'll like what we're planning?" James asked quietly as we made our way through the corridors to the kitchens.

"I hope so," I replied, "His other birthdays obviously haven't been exactly what I'd call fun. So I want this one to be. His family obviously isn't going to throw him a party," I said, "Actually; I'd be surprised if they even send him a present."

"I know," James agreed, "It must be rotten having a family like that. Remember when his cousins- Bellatrix and Narcissa, I think it was, gave him hell about it? I mean, he has to take it from Crevan as well. It must be hard for him." James said.

It certainly must be hard for him, I thought as we walked quietly along the corridor. I knew that without my family I don't know where I'd be because they had looked after me whenever I needed it. They had tended to me when I was sick, tried to find a cure when I was bitten and were always there for me. I couldn't imagine having a family who treated you like you were the dirt beneath their shoes- like a pestilence. It must be horrible for Sirius, I thought. And that was why I wanted him to feel like he _did _have a family who loved and cared for him.

"Yeah. That's why we have to show him that he _does_ have a family." I said, "In us. _We're_ his family."

James nodded, and then, before we knew it, we had arrived at the kitchens. I reached my hand up to tickle the pear in the portrait that led to the kitchens, and then the pear turned into a large green doorknob. I opened it and stepped inside.

As soon as we stepped into the room about a dozen house elves had come scrambling up to us, trying to meet our every need.

"Would Sirs like some cake?" they chorused.

"No thanks," I said, the house elves looked slightly disappointed, "is Pippy here?" I asked, looking around for said house elf. Pippy was the house elf that we had first come to know. We had first met him when we played one of our first pranks, and ever since then he had become our acquaintance down in the kitchens. And it was lucky that he was, because it turned out that he was one of the leading cooks in the kitchen. So if we needed extra food Pippy was the elf to see.

The other house elves rushed off to find Pippy, and in a couple of minutes he came shuffling up to James and I. We greeted Pippy and told him our request.

"So Sirs would like extra food to be made for Sirs to pick up on Friday?" Pippy asked after we had told him our request.

"Yes, if that's not too much trouble," James replied, taking a bite of a cherry tart that a house elf had offered him.

"No, no trouble at all James Potter!" Pippy squeaked.

"You're great Pippy," James said.

Pippy beamed. "Does Sirs have any special requests for the food?" Pippy asked.

"Hmm." James and I looked at each other. "What are those puddings that Sirius likes?" James asked me.

"Chocolate and date pudding," I remembered.

"Yes, that's it. If it isn't too much trouble just a bit of chocolate and date pudding." James told the house elf.

"And some sweets, like you had on Hallowe'en." I added.

"And those Yorkshire puddings Sirius likes," James continued.

Now that we thought about it, Sirius liked and ate a considerable amount of food.

Well, as they say, a good pig eats anything. Nevertheless James and I spent the next five minutes telling Pippy every dessert, cake, dish and type of food that Sirius liked. Which, when listed, was a lot of food.

Pippy grinned, "No problems at all Mr. Remus Lupin! No problems for Pippy at all!"

I smiled. "We'll pick it up on Friday afternoon or night sometime then."

"Good. Pippy will have everything ready by then." Pippy said.

Finally, after James insisted on taking a plate of food from the house elves and after we had said our goodbyes to Pippy and the other elves, we made our way out of the kitchens.

On the way back to the Gryffindor common room we heard voices coming from an empty classroom that we were passing. James, being the sticky beak that he was, insisted that we see who it was. As we got closer to the door I recognized one of the voices instantly.

"It's Sirius!" James said, recognizing the voice as well. We drew closer to the classroom and I peered through the keyhole.

At the front of the classroom sat Sirius, a grin fixed to his face. Opposite Sirius was none other than Mundungus Fletcher, a fourth year Hufflepuff who had a notorious reputation for 'selling' goods. He was the person anyone went to to obtain items that were either banned, stolen or illegal. I wondered exactly _how _Sirius had come into acquaintance with Mundungus, and _why_. It was strange indeed. Mundungus sat opposite Sirius, slouching in his chair, his matted ginger hair fell over his face, making him look even grizzlier.

"So the fireworks and pixies are all in order then, Dung?" Sirius asked.

"Sure are." Mundungus replied.

"And you'll have them by Friday?" Sirius asked.

"Don't see why I wouldn't." Mundungus replied, "So what are you gonna use 'em for Sirius?" Mundungus asked.

"You'll see," Sirius replied with a grin.

"Sounds wayward to me." Mundungus said, "I like the way you think, Black."

Sirius grinned. "Of course you do," he said, then he stood up, "Well I've got to get back, I'll come and get them on Friday sometime then." Sirius said as he put the chair back under a table.

"Good." Mundungus replied, and then they said their goodbyes and Sirius walked towards the doorway. James and I retreated to the other side of the corridor so Sirius wouldn't hit us with the door on his way out.

"Let's scare him," James whispered as Sirius opened the door and went out, followed shortly by Mundungus who walked in the opposite direction to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

We followed Sirius as he walked up the corridor, whistling happily.

"I can't wait until Friday, it's about time I had a good birthday for once," Sirius said to himself as we turned left and entered a dark corridor.

I stifled a laugh as James muttered, "First sign of madness."

"Let's scare him now then," I whispered and then Sirius suddenly stopped, turned around as if he had heard me, and peered down the dark corridor.

James and I froze.

"That's weird," Sirius said as he looked straight at us, "I could have sworn I heard a noise just then," he shrugged, "Well I suppose, it _is _Hogwarts. Anything could happen in this place," he said, and then he turned around and looked in the other direction.

We slowly crept up behind him, and James whispered "On three," and held up one finger, then another, and finally the third one. On three we both yelled "Booooo!" loudly and pulled off the cloak. Sirius jumped about twenty feet into the air in shock and confusion, then, realizing it was only us he scowled as we laughed our heads off.

"You bloody prats! You scared the shite out of me!" Sirius said as he shook his fist in the air. "I'll get you both back for this!"

James and I were still laughing. "You should have seen your face!" I laughed at the expression Sirius had had on his face just seconds before when we had scared him.

"Well yours wouldn't have been much better if you just had your wits scared out of you!" Sirius retorted.

James and I chortled.

"Well that's what you get if you don't tell us things," James said.

"Yeah, well I was abou-" Sirius suddenly stopped. We all froze. We could hear someone muttering in the corridor ahead of us.

"I'll get the scurvy little brats this time Mrs. Norris!"

It was Filch.

I peered up the dark corridor; there stood Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, looking at us with her huge eyes.

"That bloody cat!" Sirius cursed as James quickly put the Invisibility cloak over us.

"Quick! Let's get out of here!" James whispered just as Filch entered the corridor. We quickly and quietly made our way back down the corridor we had just come.

"Students out at this time of the night! Oh they're going to get a hiding!" Filch's voice came behind us.

"Quick! Down this way!" James said, taking the corridor on the right, one that I didn't recognize.

I took a quick glance behind me to see Filch turn down the left corridor.

"He went the other way," I said, relieved at our narrow escape.

"So he should, stupid git," Sirius said as we stopped to catch our breath, "he nearly caught us because of the noise you two were making."

"Well you got to admit, it _was _funny, especially the look on your face," James grinned as we took off the Invisibility cloak.

Sirius poked his tongue out at him, "What were you doing following me around anyway? Sneaky blighters."

"Well, we went down to the kitchens and then we were coming back and we heard someone talking from that empty classroom so we went to take a look and we saw you and Mundungus Fletcher talking," James told Sirius.

"Spying on me were you?" Sirius said, raising his eyebrows at us.

"Something like that," James grinned, "Why didn't you just tell us that you were consorting with Mundungus?" James asked.

Sirius shrugged. "Cause I didn't feel like it."

"You _do_ know that Mundungus steals things…" I said, eyeing Sirius, "He's got a bad reputation…"

"Ah, now I remember, _that's _why I didn't tell you." Sirius said, looking back at me.

I wasn't sure of Mundungus Fletcher. What if he gave Sirius the fireworks and then made him pay more than what they were worth? Or tricked him into buying more things? He didn't seem like the honest type to me.

"Well I just know if you should be doing business with him, that's all," I said.

"Remus, I've been by myself for the past eleven years. I think I can look out for myself. Don't you?"

"Yes… But what if Mundungus tries to make you buy more things? Or if he makes you pay more than what they're actually worth? What if he's tricking you?"

"Dung isn't like that!" Sirius said, irritated. I looked at James, who was keeping well out of it. "He may have a 'reputation' but I know him and he wouldn't do that to me."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I don't have to explain _any_ of this to you, Remus. It's none of your business." Sirius had a bad temper and got angry very easily, especially if it was about him or his friends, I knew this but I didn't want him to be tricked so I ignored his comments. I didn't want Mundungus to take advantage of Sirius. Sirius sometimes got in way over his head; he never looked before he leapt.

"How long have you known him?" I asked suddenly, "Two weeks? For all you know, he's a _crook_ and he's tricking you," I said. I didn't want to start a fight, but I was worried for Sirius. Sure, he was buying fireworks now, but what next? What if Mundungus was a real crook and Sirius didn't know it? What if he was just tricking Sirius?

"For your information- _Lupin_," Sirius said coldly, grey eyes piercing into me, "I've known him for as long as I've known _you_."

And with that, he turned around and stalked away.

I didn't know what to say.

What was Sirius implying? That he knows Mundungus better than me? That Mundungus was a better friend than I was? I was speechless. I stood there, looking after the retreating figure of Sirius, not knowing what to say. I started to feel terrible. Why did I have to open my mouth? Why didn't I just let it drop?

"Well." James said awkwardly, "Well." he said again.

I didn't say anything.

"I think we should just let him cool off… I'm going back to the common room. You coming?" James asked.

I stood there a while. "…I… I don't think I will, actually." I replied.

"Filch is still out there," James said.

"It's okay." I said. I just wanted to be alone. To think.

"Okay then. See you back at the common room." James said, and he put the Invisibility cloak over himself and walked away.

I let out a deep breath. It was the first fight that I had had with any of my friends, and I felt terrible. Sirius obviously was better friends with Mundungus than me. I walked along the dark corridors, not knowing exactly where I was heading. Was I in over my head? What made me think that we were such good friends anyway? Living and having classes with someone does not instantly make you best friends. Maybe I was in way too far over my head. I did not deserve these friends. After all, I had been lying to them. What made me any better than Mundungus Fletcher? Nothing. Mundungus was better than me. He probably wasn't even tricking Sirius. I was. I had been lying to him- and Peter, and James, ever since I had met them. How could I do such a thing? I did not even deserve to have friends like them.

Or maybe they weren't even my friends. Of course they were my friends. But I hadn't been a friend to them. What kind of person lies to their friends? Someone like me, I thought as I entered another corridor.

A werewolf like me.

That's who tricks and lies to their friends. Not someone harmless like Mundungus Fletcher. It was I who was the one who was tricking Sirius, I realized, not Mundungus.

Me, Remus Lupin.

I found myself unconsciously making my way towards the Astronomy tower. I needed to look at the stars, the heavens, and the sky. There, I would find comfort. Out there, I was only but a small speck in a whole universe. Like an ant on a tiny planet that probably meant nothing in the scheme of things. In universal figures.

I climbed the stairs to the Astronomy tower.

Finally, I was out on the top most part of the tower. I noticed that the beanbags that were usually there for us to sit on in class weren't there. I walked to the edge of the tower and leaned against the cold stone banister, the chilly night air mussed my hair as I looked out at the vast sky in front of me. The rest of Hogwarts stood below me, some of the windows lit up by candlelight, but most of them were dark as most people had gone to bed.

I breathed in the cool night air and let out a sigh. I felt horrible. Even though I hadn't really even said much to Sirius, it felt like I had accused him of something. And the way he had looked at me. Those cold, deep eyes staring right into me as if piercing right through me. The eyes that seemed to say 'What right have you to tell me any of this?'

And of course he was right. What right _did_ I have? What right did I have to question him, or anyone, for that matter? When they had accepted me with no questions asked. When they had welcomed me with open arms as their friend? What right did I have at all? I had none. None at all. No right to question Sirius' friendship with Mundungus Fletcher. And no right at all to accuse Fletcher of tricking Sirius. I shivered.

"Remus Lupin." A soft voice behind me made me jump. I turned around to see Professor Philomena, the Astronomy professor, standing there with a strange look in her eyes, her dark hair hanging like a curtain down the sides of her elegant face.

"Professor Philomena, I'm sorry," I apologized instantly, "I shouldn't be up here, I know, I can exp-"

She cut me off, "Its fine Mr. Lupin," she said understandingly, "It's all right. I couldn't sleep so I came up here." She walked to the edge to stand beside me. "It's the best place to be to think things over, isn't it?" she asked looking out at the deep sky.

"Yes," I replied. "It is."

"May I ask what's troubling you?" Philomena asked.

I didn't reply for a while. And then, "Have you ever felt like you didn't deserve your friends?" I asked.

"Many times," she replied. "What makes you think you don't deserve James, Sirius and Peter?"

I didn't say anything.

Then, "I've been tricking them. Lying to them. Everyday. Ever since I've met them I've been tricking them."

"…Tricking them, or saving them from what they might not want to know?" She asked slowly.

"They may not want to know, but they have a _right_ to know. I've been tricking them. I don't deserve them."

"Remus, being a werewolf – that is something sacred to you and you alone. You don't have to share it with anyone. It's not an obligation. You aren't tricking them, just covering up a truth they may not want to know. You have no obligation on anyone to tell them anything. Your friends, I'm sure, have secrets they haven't told anyone. _Everybody_ has secrets."

I considered this for a moment. "Not as big as being a werewolf."

"You'd be quite surprised." she said, looking at me, "If everybody knew everybody's secrets then we might never get along."

"But my friends deserve to know something as big as this."

"Yes, they do. But you'll tell them when you're ready to. Not before. _Are_ you ready to tell them?"

I thought for a moment. No, I was not ready. I'd never be ready. How could you tell your friends that you were a monstrous werewolf and that you'd been lying to them ever since you'd met them?

"No."

"In time you _will_ be ready. But not now. You will tell them when you're ready, Remus. For now, just be a good friend to them. They definitely deserve that from you. They already know that you're loyal and a great friend. _Show them_." Philomena stared back out at the sky. At the shimmering stars.

"Professor,"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." I said genuinely, "Thank you very much." I turned towards the entrance of the tower and made my way towards the steps.

"They deserve to have you as a friend, Remus." Professor Philomena said from behind me. "And you deserve to have them as friends. You deserve it more than you know."

Without saying anything more, I started to make my descent down the stairway. I thought about what Professor Philomena had said- that I did deserve to have them as friends, that they deserved to have me as a friend. _Did_ I deserve to have them as friends? Or was I not worthy enough to have them? They never _had_ to be my friends. They could have just overlooked me and not been friends with me at all. But they didn't. They _chose_ to be my friend. And I chose to be their friend.

And that made all the difference.

When I arrived back at the dormitory James and Peter were asleep, their curtains were closed. I could hear Peter's snoring coming from behind his curtained bed.

But Sirius. Sirius was still up. He was sitting on the windowsill, looking out at the sky. The same sky that I had been looking at for the past half hour. I looked at Sirius as I stood in the doorway. He was hugging his legs against his chest and he didn't take his eyes from the dark sky when I closed the door quietly.

I didn't quite know what to say. I knew what I _should _be saying. But I couldn't find the words.

"You had no right." Sirius said quietly. His voice cut through the air like a knife.

"I know."

"It wasn't your business."

"I know."

"I'll choose my friends wherever I like. And _I'll_ decide whether they're true friends or not."

I didn't say anything.

"I can look after myself."

"I know."

"I don't need _another_ person telling me what to do or who to be friends with. I get that enough from my family, from Crevan – Bellatrix – Narcissa – Amias – Cyrilla…"

"Sirius…"

His grey eyes flicked at me for a moment, then went back to looking out the window at the stars.

"Before you say anything else. I'm sorry. I'm really very sorry. And I know I was wrong. But I was worried for you. I don't know Mundungus properly; I thought that he might be trying to trick you. I never knew you were good friends. You never told me… I'm sorry."

Sirius didn't reply for a while. Then his voice came, soft, "Seems like we all have our secrets. Doesn't it?"

"Yes." I said, "Sorry."

"Have I ever questioned _your_ friends Remus?"

"No."

"No, I have never. So understand that I can choose for myself who's a true friend and who's not." Sirius said. "That's why I chose _you_."

Sirius finally turned and looked at me, his eyes boring into my own. "I chose _you_. To be my friend. I _wanted_ to be your friend. Just like I wanted to be James' friend."

I didn't know what to say to that.

"And I wasn't a proper friend back." I whispered, gulping.

"Remus. You _are_ a proper friend back. A true friend. Just let me choose my own friends, okay?"

I nodded.

There was a short silence.

"Especially if they can get me some kick arse fireworks." Sirius looked at me and grinned. I let out a choked laugh.

The tension was gone.

"So are we okay?" I asked.

"Friends? Of course. Okay? As in normal - sane? I don't really think either of us will ever be able to say that." Sirius laughed.

I smiled.

We were okay.

"You should meet Dung sometime."

"I would like that." I said softly.

"So would I." Sirius replied, "So would I…"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **The next part of this chapter is coming out soon. Hopefully. Now, lesse, I just need counts 15 more reviews and it'll be up to 400! Come on reviewers/readers, you can do it! I might even dedicate a chapter to whoever hits the 400 mark! (If I count it up right that is, heh) 

**brennQT: **I'm glad you liked the Sirius/Peter bonding, we don't often see them bonding much so I thought it would be a change to what we usually see, so I'm glad you liked it. And that you liked how I brought out in the open that they never really talk that much, well they don't really, and I imagine Sirius to say just that as well. Thanks!

**Beansie: **Heh. Yes, yes, chap 23 and its still first year – be patient! Heh. You know, if I'm taking this long you know what that means don't you – that you get to read for longer, so it's a win win situation here. Heh. Or you'll get bored and stop reading. (Which I very much hope that you don't!) Chagrin means annoyance, so if you say 'to Remus' chagrin' it would basically be to Remus' annoyance. Hehe. Poor Remus. Oh, I meant, the next two chapters (meaning this one and the one I will post after this) Sirius' birthday chapters, is 43 pages long, that's why I split it in two.

**Janet Lily: **Thanks! Yes, Peter was sort of innocent wasn't he? But I think he didn't just turn like that, there were other things involved to make him betray his friends. Well deep down I think they all (WPP) were a bit prejiduce of werewolves, well, no matter what anyone says they will always be seen as dark evil creatures and Voldemort maybe was trying to get them on his side and maybe that's why Sirius chose Peter, not Remus. I will try to check out your fanfiction when I have some time.

**Thehpgang: **Thanks very much. It makes me very happy to hear that the story is original. Well I didn't want to skip straight to the important stuff right away, I think there are other things happening in between all the important stuff that led up to the important stuff. Don't worry I won't quit writing this, unless I get very very very extremely busy and can't do it anymore, if that happens it'll just go on hiatus though – but don't worry, it won't happen, hopefully. I'm not making any promises or guarantees though, but I will say that I am thoroughly enjoying writing Memoirs and as long as I keep enjoying it I will still be writing it! But thanks for the warning! Heh.

**LupinLover99: **That's okay. Glad you liked the friendship between Sirius Peter. Well there was more Remus, hope it satisfies!

**Anarane: **I'm a bit wary of writing Peter chapters, as you may have noticed, because there are more chaps written by MPP than by Peter, but I try to balance it out. Wow, I'm very glad that you come out liking my Peter, yay! Glad you loved the plant thing. Thanks!

**Carlie Black: **Yay! Someone's saying yay about a Peter chapter! Heh. Glad you liked the Peter/Sirius bonding. Glad you liked the good ol' honkin' daffodil! Heh. Heh, I will try to update 3 times this month. No promises though!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Hi! Glad you liked the honking daffodil! And the Christmas chapter, and the intro of Malfoy, yes, he is older than MWPP, I don't see him to be in their year either, I think its now canon that he isn't anyway. Yes I have a lot of fun writing this, as long as I don't have writers block. :o)

**French Chipmunk: **Hi! Thanks very much! I'm very glad you like it!

**Elvenwolf123321: **'ello there! No, I never get sick of hearing that you love my story! It's good for the muse, hehe. Wow! You've stopped thinking of my story as fanfiction, O.O, that is just amazing and awesome, thanks a whole bunch! I love you! Heh. And wow, their characters formed in your mind from _my _descriptions! Wow! No I have never had raman noodles dry. They expand in your stomach? Heh. Interesting. Thanks very very much again! I do appreciate it and I do love you forever for your awesome words! Heh.

**Erica: **Heh, I'm glad you've found flowers amusing now then, hehe. I've never found that they got along with each other as well as everyone else either, but as you said, they must have. But I still don't think that they got along as well as say Sirius/Remus, or Sirius/James. But anyway, they were all friends.

**Dominique: **Thanks very much! I'm glad you like it! Well, you have your wish; it's a Remus Rants! Thanks for reviewing!

**Visualpurple: **Heh, I do already love you forever because you review! Hehe. Yes it is interesting how Sirius Peter only are friends because of James Remus. Otherwise I don't think they'd be that good friends at all. Thanks for reviewing!

**DarkKestrelArwenSilkeQueen: **Thanks for reviewing! Yes, Sirius and Peter are friends, it is too bad Sirius hates him later on, if only Peter hadn't betrayed them. Sighs… Thanks again!


	25. Sirius' Birthday

**Dedications: **This chapter is dedicated to **Padfoot's**** Mate/Ela** and **lavender-sykes**! Thank you lavender/Tina for being the 400th reviewer and finally hitting the mark! A **_huge_** thanks goes not only to these two people but to all my reviewers and readers for helping me hit the 400 mark and making writing this story worthwhile.

Remember: Every Review Counts! Heh. I love you all!

* * *

**1972, 1st Year**

**Remus Rants:**

**Quote of the Day: **"_You_, Mr_. Black, Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew, are a bunch of_ _good-for-nothing-dim-witted_ _MARAUDERS_!" (Yes, we _do_ realise that this quote has been used before but Mr. Padfoot insists that we use it again in the actual chapter that it was said)

The day of Sirius' birthday had finally arrived. It was a Friday, the last day of school for the week, and you know what happens on Friday – nobody wants to do any work because they just couldn't be bothered because it's going to be the weekend very soon.

This was very true of Sirius.

And James.

_And_ Peter.

And since it was Sirius' birthday he was extra excited, and more insane than normal.

If that's even possible.

So, sitting in Charms (the last lesson of the day) that afternoon, I was the only one actually practising the charms out of the four of us. Professor Flitwick had given up trying to make Sirius do his work because he knew there was no way possible to make him, and since it was Sirius' birthday Flitwick wasn't too hard on him.  
The fight that we had had over Mundungus was no longer an issue, and both Sirius and I chose to forget about it and we were back to normal.

Sirius was currently in the process of telling anyone who'd listen that it was his birthday.

"Guess what day it is!" Sirius was talking to Alexandra, a brown haired Gryffindor first year, one of Lily's friends.

"Friday?" she said, knowing full well what day it was.

"Yes, it is Friday, but what is so important about _this _Friday, Alex?"

"It's the day before Saturday?" she grinned.

"It's my _birthday _for crying out loud!" Sirius said, throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

"All right Sirius, no more harassing the girls," James said, trying to drag him away from where Lily and Alex were sitting.

"But I was only telling them a crucial fact which they should know!" Sirius said, throwing a charming smile at them. Lily rolled her eyes and looked at James.

"I daresay that they already know Sirius," James said.

"Please take him away before I jinx him," Lily said to James.

James grinned, "Hear that Sirius? Lily will jinx you if you don't stop annoying her."

"You too Potter," Lily said, the corners of her mouth tugged in a slight grin.

"Oh but I'm saving you from the terrible clutches of Sirius Black!" James said.

"We don't _need_ saving," Lily replied.

"Just take him away," Alex said, smiling. James flashed them a smile and proceeded to drag him away.

"Oh! But I haven't told Aidan about it yet!" Sirius said, nodding at Aidan Yates, a first year Ravenclaw.

"I'm sure he knows already too," James said, dragging him back over to where Peter and I were practicing our charms.

"I was only informing people of a special event that only comes once a year, why'd you drag me away?" Sirius asked James as they sat down.

"Because you were annoying them," James replied.

"Since when do you care if I annoy people anyway?" Sirius said.

"I don't. I wanted to ask you if everything's all right for tonight, like the fireworks and that," James replied.

"Sure are," Sirius said, "You'll just need to go get them off Dung," he added.

"_Me_!" James asked, "I don't even know him! You get them."

"But it's my _birthday_! You're meant to do things for your friends on their birthdays." Sirius said.

"I've been doing things for you all day Sirius, in case you hadn't noticed." James replied, rolling his eyes. This was true – ever since the morning Sirius had been demanding things of us, such as 'Pour me some orange juice!' 'Open this envelope,' 'Hand me that bit of toast', and when we'd say 'Get it yourself,' he'd reply, 'But it's my birthday'.

He was milking it for all it was worth.

Typical Sirius.

"Well it _is _my birthday, in case you hadn't noticed," Sirius smirked.

"Well I don't want to go get the fireworks. Get someone else to do it." James said.

"Remus?" Sirius turned to me; the puppy dog eyes look on his face.

Pitiful.

I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what was coming, "What Sirius?"

"Would you pretty please get the fireworks from Dung seeing as it's my birthday?" Sirius asked.

"No." I replied. I didn't necessarily mean it, but I wanted to see what he'd do.

"But Reeeeeeeeeemus!" Sirius whined, "It's my birthday! And friends do things for friends when it's their birthday! I'd do it for you if it was _your_ birthday!"

"I'll remember that," I replied.

"Come on Remus. _Please,_" Sirius begged.

I gave in, "Fine! I'll pick up your stupid fireworks for your mangy hide."

Sirius grinned, "You're the best!" then he proceeded to hug me.

"Geroff!" I said, pushing him away.

"I just wanted to thank you. You're such a great friend Rem. I _knew_ you'd do it! Unlike _other people_," Sirius said, glancing at James with a mock-scowl.

"Where do I pick them up?" I asked.

"In that abandoned classroom that Dung and I were in the other day," Sirius replied, "Dung will be there at about four thirty," Sirius said.

"And what are you going to give him in return?" I asked.

"I've already given him a bit of money, he's only making me pay half because its my birthday and it'd provide him with a bit of entertainment as well, isn't that great!" Sirius said.

"Yes, great." I replied.

"So how exactly are we going to pull this all off?" James asked.

"I dunno," Sirius replied nonchalantly, "I thought you had that organized."

"Sirius!" James groaned, "I thought you organized it!"

"Should I have?"

James shook his head; "I'd curse you if it wasn't your birthday."

"Feeling the love, Jim," Sirius smirked.

"So how are we going to pull it off then?" Peter asked, putting his wand down and joining the conversation.

"Well we could hide somewhere and levitate the fireworks into the Great Hall and then set them off with our wands," James suggested.

"Hmm," Sirius considered this for a moment, "We could, but out of a thousand or whatever people I think at least someone would notice fireworks hanging over their heads," he said sardonically.

"Oh I don't know," James joked, "half of them _are_ pretty stupid," he laughed.

"True. But one of the teachers is bound to notice." I said.

"I know!" Sirius said suddenly, "Let's make them invisible and put them in the Great Hall and _then _set them off!" Sirius said triumphantly. It was a brilliant idea of course. But none of us had the foggiest idea of how to make things invisible.

"And how exactly do you propose we make them invisible?" I asked, bringing Sirius back down to earth.

"Um…" Sirius thought for a minute, "Don't you know a spell for that sort of thing?" Sirius asked me.

"Nope."

"Oh. Damn." Sirius replied, then his eyes lit up again, "Let's use James' cloak! That'd make them invisible!"

"Over my dead body!" James said instantly, looking horrified at using his cloak as an object for pranks. Which is ironic, seeing as we use it every time we do a prank.

"That can be arranged," Sirius laughed.

"I'd rather my cloak in perfect condition thank you. I do not want it burnt to a crisp just so you can make fireworks invisible." James said huffily.

"Damn. There goes _that_ idea." Sirius said, as if it was even propositional in the first place. "Well does _anyone _have any idea how to make things invisible without a spell or using James' cloak?" Sirius asked.

"Nope." James said.

"Hey- wait a minute… There _is _something that makes things invisible," Peter said suddenly.

"Go on," Sirius said eagerly.

"Well when I was little my cousins put this powder stuff on my favourite bear so that I couldn't find it. Maybe there's something similar for that…"

Sirius looked as if he could kiss Peter, "Of _course_! You're a _genius_ Pete! I know that powder! It's called invisibility powder or something like that!"

"No kidding?" James said sarcastically.

"The question is; where do we get some?" I asked.

"Maybe Dung might have some. I'm _sure_ he'd have something like that."

"And if he doesn't?" James asked.

"Well we'll just have to work something else out then," Sirius replied.

I shook my head. Sirius _always_ left planning and organizing things to the last minute. And what was more surprising was that they nearly always seemed to work out.

"You, Sirius Black, are a nutter." I said. And with that, the signal for the end of class went.

"_Showtime_!" Sirius said far too gleefully as we all exited the classroom and made our way to the Gryffindor tower where we deposited our bags and had an hour before dinner free.

When it was about half past four I stood up and put my shoes on to go get the fireworks.

"I better come with you," Sirius said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I've got to ask Dung about the invisible powder, and he doesn't really know you." Sirius explained.

James rolled his eyes, "_Now _you want to go! You could have just gone by yourself in the first place."

"Well I didn't know about the powder then, did I?" Sirius said.

"Well let's go then," I said, as I made my way over to the door, Sirius following closely behind me.

When we were out in the main corridors most of the students were out of class and making their way to their house dormitories.

"So you're going to meet Dung," Sirius said as we walked down the corridors to the classroom that Sirius and Mundungus had met in before.

"Yes." I said, and then, "Why are we meeting in that classroom anyway?" I asked.

"Because it's hardly ever used, the teachers all have their other classrooms and none of them really need this one," Sirius explained as we walked up a flight of stairs.

After a while we arrived at the empty classroom and opened the door to see Mundungus Fletcher leaning on a table, a box and a cage sat on the floor in front of him.

"Ah, Sirius." He said as we entered the classroom and walked over to Mundungus.

"Dung," Sirius returned the greeting, "this is Remus Lupin," he said, nodding at me.

"Hi." I said to Mundungus.

"Lupin," Mundungus grunted in greeting.

"So everything's here?" Sirius asked.

"Yep." Mundungus replied.

"Cool." Sirius said, "Oh, and would you happen to have any invisibility powder that we could use?" Sirius asked.

"Sure do." Mundungus answered.

Sirius grinned, "See Remus, I told you he'd have some. So do you have it here then?" he asked.

"Nah, I'll have to get it from me room," Mundungus replied, then continued, "What are you two planning? Invisibility powder? Fireworks? Pixies?" Mundungus raised his eyebrow at us.

"You'll see," Sirius replied.

"I bet I will," Mundungus said, shaking his head. "Mind you, them pixies are a right pain, been makin' noise ever since I got 'em."

"Where'd you get them?" I asked looking at the cage full of pixies who were pulling faces at us and making high pitched noises.

"From a man who runs a shop in Knockturn Alley," Mundungus replied.

"Knockturn Alley? Isn't th-"

Sirius silenced me with a look.

"Sorry for all the trouble Dung." Sirius said quickly.

"Ah, s'not that bad." Mundungus replied, "Well I'll go'n get the powder then, stay here, I'll be back in a couple of minutes. The common rooms not that far," Mundungus said, then left the room.

"He's getting this stuff from _Knockturn__ Alley_," I said after Mundungus left the room.

"So?" Sirius asked.

"Well…" I was going to say something, but then decided against it. I didn't want to have another fight with Sirius, especially not on his birthday. "Nothing." I said.

"Good." Sirius replied brightly.

After about five minutes Mundungus was back with the powder, "Here ya go," he said, handing Sirius a sachet with the label 'Instant Invisibility! Just sprinkle on any object and instantly its invisible!'.

"Thanks!" Sirius replied. "So how much does this cost?" he asked, looking at the sachet of powder.

"Ah, I'll give it to ya for free, I think," Mundungus said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. But whatever you're planning, it better be good." Mundungus grinned.

"Don't worry, it _will _be."

"Good." Mundungus replied. "Well, I can't hang around here all afternoon; I got more business to do, so I'll see you two later." Mundungus said, and after we said goodbye, he left.

"Well, we've got everything we need!" Sirius said happily.

"Um, Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"How exactly are we going to get all of this down to the Great Hall?" I asked.

"Well that's easy; we'll just start planning it now. I told James and Pete to meet us in that small room where we first went before our Sorting so we can leave the pixies there. And we can just make the fireworks invisible now so then we can levitate them down to the hall and set it up before dinner," Sirius explained. So he _did _have it all organized.

We set about making the fireworks invisible with the invisibility powder.

When we had made half the fireworks invisible a problem occurred to me, "Er Sirius, how exactly are we meant to _see _what we're levitating?" I asked.

"Oh. Good point," Sirius said, rubbing his chin and thinking. He had clearly overlooked this factor.

"You _know_ what would have been easier."

"Yes."

"James' Invisibility cloak."

"You're just lucky Sirius doesn't do _all _the organizing around here." A voice suddenly said from behind us. Both Sirius and I jumped and turned around to see James and Peter.

James held his Invisibility cloak in his hand.

"James! Will you stop doing that for Merlin's sake! You sneaky little git!" Sirius said.

James and Peter laughed.

"Here I am saving your mangy hide and you insult me! That's the last time I help you," James joked.

"Well stop sneaking up on me," Sirius said, "well we may as well get these down to the Great Hall." he nodded at the fireworks and pixies, who were cackling.

Sirius grabbed the box of fireworks and I picked up the cage of pixies (who instantly tried to grab whatever they could get their hands onto, including my cloak), James then put the cloak over the four of us.

It was very hard to walk anywhere with the four of us under the cloak especially with two of us holding a box of fireworks and a cage full of pixies.

We tried to walk to the door, and managed, until we discovered that half of Sirius' legs could be seen because the cloak wasn't covering them properly.

"This isn't going to work." I said finally, after many attempts at trying to walk with the cloak covering all of us.

"Well how are we going to get everything down to the hall then?" James asked.

"How about just you and Sirius walk under the cloak with the pixies and fireworks, that'll be much easier, and then if the pixies make too much noise then we can cover it up." Peter said suddenly.

"Good idea," Sirius said as James and Peter slipped out from under the cloak and opened the door for us.

It was slow going walking down to the Great Hall.

James and Peter had to walk in front of us so they wouldn't run into us from behind.

The pixies were making a considerable amount of noise and more than once James and Peter earned some strange looks while Sirius and I dodged the people around us. We took the corridors that weren't used as much so it took even longer to get to the hall.

Once, when the pixies were making a considerable amount of noise, Professor McGonagall stopped James and Peter to see what all the noise was about.

"What's all this noise? Potter? Pettigrew?" McGonagall demanded, peering behind them and straight at us.

"Oh you mean this noise," James then proceeded to make strange high-pitched pixie sounding noises, which, if not for the situation at hand, would have made me laugh very hard indeed.

McGonagall gave James a strange look. "Yes, it sounded like that," she said, "it sounded strangely like Cornish pixies." McGonagall said suspiciously.

The pixies were still making a racket no matter how hard we tried to shut them up. Unfortunately we did not know how to perform the Silencing charm yet.

Peter was making high-pitched noises in an effort to cover it up while James tried to convince McGonagall that she was hearing things.

"There aren't any pixies around here Professor! It was just me and Peter making noises. We're trying to imitate the exact call of a Cornish pixie," James made up. Sirius and I tried our hardest not to burst out laughing.

McGonagall stared at James as if he was losing his marbles. "May I ask _why_?"

"Well, in some countries people believe that the high pitched sounds of Cornish pixies will - er- ward off evil spirits," James replied.

This was _too _funny.

McGonagall gave James an even stranger look, "Are you feeling all right Mr. Potter?"

"Just dandy Professor!" James replied while Peter kept on making noises.

"I assure you there are no evil spirits in the castle."

"Oh I don't know about _that_. Consider Peeves for example, he's quite a nasty piece of work," James replied gravely.

"Yes but I'm quite certain that the call of a Cornish pixie won't deter Peeves," McGonagall said.

"You never know Professor, it just might work." James said.

McGonagall gave James one last strange look then dismissed him.

When McGonagall was finally out of the way Sirius and I burst out laughing.

"Trying to imitate the exact call of a pixie!" Sirius laughed.

"Shut up, I couldn't think of anything else," James murmured.

"I didn't know the call of a Cornish pixie could ward off evil spirits," Sirius teased, "we'll have to try it some time."

"Well you try making up a story with McGonagall demanding an answer as to why there are strange pixie noises around you," James retorted.

Finally, without any further ado we made it to the Great Hall and went into the small room off the side of the hall to leave the pixies there.

"Well, everything's going to work," Sirius said as he finished pulling the fireworks out of the box and making them invisible.

"You should have put the fireworks in the hall where you want them first and _then _made them invisible," I said logically.

"Well, too late now," Sirius said.

"How are we going to know where they are so we can let them off?" Peter asked.

"Has anybody got anything we can stick on them so we know where they are?" James asked.

"Nope." Peter and I replied.

"I have something!" Sirius said, putting his hand to his mouth and pulling out a piece of bright green chewing gum.

"Ew." Peter said. I quite agreed.

"We can't put _that _on there! That's just gross," said James.

"There's nothing else to put on it, this'll just have to do," Sirius grinned and begun to pull apart the gum into different pieces and sticking them onto separate fireworks so that the gum looked like it was floating in mid air.

"_You_ can put them in the Great Hall then." I said, not wanting to touch Sirius' fireworks.

"Oh don't be such babies," Sirius replied. "Anyway, we're going to levitate them in there, otherwise people will trip over them. We'll just have to use that spell we used for that prank we did a while ago and make them float up in the air so their less noticeable and no one will walk on them." Sirius explained.

"Good. I won't have to touch them." Peter said, quite relieved that he didn't have to touch something that had been is Sirius' mouth. I, for one, didn't blame him.

"Okay. Let's do it. Its show time Mischief Makers." Sirius said gleefully as he started to charm the invisible fireworks into the air, guided by his bright green chewing gum.

We all followed his lead and started to charm the rest of them into the air.

"Right? Is that all of them?" Sirius asked, as he finished the last one.

"I hope so," I replied. If not, then there would be some very frazzled first years next year if anyone happened to set it off. Which, despite being wrong, could be _very _amusing indeed.

"Good, let's go then," Sirius said, as he opened the door and we walked into the Great Hall, wands up, levitating the fireworks into the hall. Luckily there was no one in the hall just yet so we wouldn't have gained any more strange looks or have to explain anything to the teachers involving levitating chewing gum and why we were here so early. Though I'm sure James would have made up a very amusing, if not plausible, explanation all the same.

"Here?" I asked, as we levitated the fireworks up into the air in the middle of the hall.

"Yep," Sirius said as we all finished levitating the fireworks into the said spot, "we just have to get a seat close enough so it'll be easier to set them off without anyone noticing."

"Let's sit down now then, it's pretty close to dinner," Peter said with a smile, as if he could smell it already.

We all sat down as close as we could under the fireworks.

"So when are we going to set them off anyway?" Peter asked Sirius.

"Well, when people are just getting into dinner, it'll be funnier that way," Sirius chortled, "I'll give a sign," Sirius said.

"And what's the sign?" James asked.

"Um, well…" Sirius thought for a moment, "I know, I'll drop my fork under the table and you all do the same and we can set them off under the table."

"And how are we going to let the pixies out?" Peter asked.

"Well I'll get under the Invisibility cloak while I'm under the table and run to the room and then let them out into the hall and then run back under the table. No one will notice the difference," Sirius explained.

It seemed like a flawless plan. (Note the word - '_seemed'_)

"And they won't know what hit them," Sirius grinned roguishly. "I can't wait!"

"Well it looks like you don't have to wait long," I said as students started to come into the Great Hall and the tables before us suddenly filled with delicious food. That most would go to waste.

Peter instantly started shoving food into his mouth.

"Pete! We'll have plenty of food in the dorm, don't worry about eating now," James whispered to him as Sirius looked in the direction of the entrance.

"Oh…" Peter put down his fork sheepishly. "I forgot."

"So you got the food then?" I whispered to James so Sirius wouldn't hear.

"Yes. We went down to the kitchens and got it while you were with Mundungus," James explained as Sirius watched the hall slowly fill up, by now he was grinning broadly.

"Is everything set up in the dorm then?" I whispered.

"Yes," James replied.

Finally it seemed like all the students and teachers were there, all of them now filling up their plates and eating. As yet nobody had noticed the inconspicuous bright green chewing gum levitating in the air above their heads.

Sirius, James, Peter and I all pretended to be eating. Well _I _was pretending, Sirius, James and Peter were all eating, waiting for the right time to strike. The hall around us bustled with noise; people were laughing, sharing jokes, and talking about their day. The atmosphere was light and relaxed, quite a stark contrast to what it was about to be like.

Then suddenly, Sirius, with a wide smirk and a devious twinkle in his eye, 'accidentally' dropped his fork with a dramatic 'Oops!' and crawled under the table to retrieve it. No one noticed it, as they were all too busy eating or gossiping with their neighbours. James, Peter and I all followed Sirius' lead and crawled under the table.

"You ready?" Sirius whispered. We all nodded and whipped out our wands.

We crawled to the edge and pointed our wands towards the levitating chewing gum.

"On three," Sirius whispered, holding out his wand with a smirk, "One…" they weren't going to know what hit them, "two…" they hadn't even noticed the bright green chewing gum, "_three_!" Sirius said gleefully.

"_Ignitious_" we all whispered, our wands pointed at the chewing gum and invisible fireworks.

The spells hit in full force and suddenly there was a loud tremor which made every occupant of the hall jump about thirty feet in the air in shock, (including us who had been expecting it,) and instantly after that the fireworks started to bloom and explode into many different colours and shapes with ear-splitting cracking noises.

In an instant Sirius grabbed James' cloak and was off running towards the small room which held the pixies and a couple of minutes later hundreds of little blue pixies were flying into the hall wreaking havoc upon student and staff and dancing around the bright fireworks, which were now hurtling around the hall in full speed alarming everyone in their paths.

I looked around at the chaos we had created. I knew it was wrong, I knew we shouldn't have done it, but hell, it was _hilarious_.

Every kind of firework was now exploding and whizzing lethally around the hall, some were exiting through the doors and out into the corridors. Bright purple Catherine wheels were hurtling around the air bouncing off the walls and flying at frazzled students and horrified teachers. Fluorescent blue and yellow dragons were soaring around the hall; shocking pink fireworks shaped as birds were flying around; firecrackers filled the whole hall and were exploding everywhere with loud bangs; and sparklers were fizzling around to add to the chaos.

The pixies that Sirius had let out seemed to be having the time of their lives as they flew around madly in the disarray and pulled at people's hair and clothes, others flew and danced among the fireworks gleefully whilst others rode on the dragons adding to the noise with their high pitched squeals of glee.

And then there were the students and teachers. Everyone except for the four of us was running around in a mad frenzy trying to dodge the fireworks and the pixies at once, which of course, did not work. The teachers were trying frantically to order students around and attempting to get rid of the fireworks.

It surely was a sight to behold.

"I'm saving this vision forever!" Sirius said gleefully as he beheld the chaos before him and suddenly whipped out his camera that he had received for Christmas from his Uncle Alphard. "This is the absolute ultimate way to celebrate a birthday!" he said as he held the camera to his eye and started snapping pictures happily.

I smiled. Typical Sirius.

"And look at Snivellus! And Crevan! Oh this is just gold!" Sirius looked in the direction of the Slytherin table with a malicious satisfaction.

I followed his gaze. I had to admit, it _was _gold. Crevan, in his usual fancy clothing which included frilly material that looked like it was from the 18th Century, was unsuccessfully trying to swat the many pixies away that had grabbed hold of his cloak and were pulling at it with squeals of glee, others were flying around his head and pulling at his hair and the frilly lace that hung around his neck. He looked furious.

Then I looked over at Snape, who seemed to be in the same situation as Crevan. He was dodging fireworks as pixies flew around him grabbing fistfuls of hair and poking his rather large nose, he had his wand out and was cursing the pixies with every curse he knew of, which only enraged them and encouraged them to wreak more havoc upon him.

"It needs just one more thing," Sirius said, pulling out his wand then, aiming it at the centre of the hall he muttered a spell and bright red letters came shooting out of his wand; they all floated to the centre of the hall and formed the sentence:

'THIS PRANK PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MAGICAL MISCHIEF MAKERS'

Then James pulled out his wand as well and muttered a spell, pointing his wand at the sentence Sirius had made, letters streamed out of his wand and flew to form a phrase under Sirius' sentence, it read:

'HBSBUNFRPJ'

"Jim, what the hell does _that _mean?" Sirius asked James, bewildered.

"It's an abbreviation, it stands for: Happy Birthday Sirius Black You Nutter From Remus Peter and James!" James said.

Sirius looked at James as if all his birthdays had come at once. Well one of his birthdays had come at once. Whatever, he looked at James with a mixture of friendship, gratitude and joy in his eyes.

Then, without warning, he grabbed James, then me, then Peter and pulled us into a group hug. Do you know how awkward and hard it is to have a group hug cramped under a table while pandemonium reigns around you?

"Aw! You guys are the best!" he said joyfully. "You're the best friends a person could ask for!"

"Well you ain't too bad yourself mate," James replied, grinning, "Just don't hug me ever again." he joked.

"Yeah Sirius, you're a great friend," Peter said.

"A true friend," I said, "even if you _are_ extremely annoying and babble absurdly in your sleep," I added with a grin.

We let go of each other, and before Sirius could so much as say thank you, suddenly the table cloth was whipped up and we all looked out to see Professor McGonagall standing there, a look of utter rage on her face.

We had been discovered.

777

"_Black – Potter – Lupin - Pettigrew_!" McGonagall fumed, "_Come with me at once_!"

We sheepishly crawled out from under the table. Luckily no one really paid any attention to us as they were all either fighting off pixies, screaming, or dodging fireworks.

Or all of the above.

I looked around, the fireworks were still hurtling about, by now some of them had hurtled into the other corridors, the pixies were still flying around gleefully and everything was in a general bedlam. I looked over at Dumbledore, who was busy performing spells to get rid of the fireworks and catch the pixies. He did not look angry at all, if anything, he looked happy. He had a slight smile on his face and despite the pixies pulling at his long beard and hair; he seemed to be enjoying himself and he chuckled when a particularly bright sparkler exploded in the middle of the hall.

Sirius, James, Peter and I all followed McGonagall out of the Great Hall and down corridors.

I knew exactly where we were going.

We were going straight to the Headmaster's office. Once we arrived at the stone gargoyles McGonagall said the password and we stepped onto the revolving stairs and then we were shoved into Dumbledore's office.

After we had all sat down McGonagall bored down on us, a look of utter rage on her face. The first thing she said was:

"_You_, Mr_. Black, Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew, are a bunch of_ _good-for-nothing-dim-witted_ _MARAUDERS_!" she yelled in a rage. This _had _to be a new record, I thought as I stood there not knowing what to say, neither of us had seen McGonagall _this _angry before. And none of us really wanted to.

Sirius suddenly grinned, "_Marauders_!" he murmured as if a flashing light had just flicked on in his brain.

"_What did you say Mr. Black_!" McGonagall screeched.

"Nothing! Nothing! I was just - it was nothing!" Sirius said quickly.

"_Do you have **any** idea of the chaos you have just caused_?"

"Well… yes…" Sirius admitted, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

McGonagall glared daggers at him.

Suddenly Peter started to talk. We all groaned and I stepped on his foot in an attempt to make him be quiet, to no avail. Peter's nervous babbling would only get us into more trouble. And that was something we did _not_ need.

"Well see… Professor McGonagall… we didn't _mean _for this to happen… what I mean is, we didn't know it would happen, we didn't _make _it happen," Peter babbled, "what happened was that someone _else _must have put the fireworks there and set them off, and those pixies, they must have flew in the window into the Great Hall because they must have been attracted to the fireworks, that's what really happene-"

James cut him off, "Professor, Peter gets really nervous when he's in trouble, and when he's nervous he doesn't know what he's saying, please don't take any notice of wha-"

McGonagall cut him off, "_Be quiet all of you_!" She screeched in a fury, "I've seen enough evidence to give you detention for a month and thirty points from Gryffindor- each!"

"But you didn't see us do anything!" Sirius said.

"Are you questioning my authority Mr. Black?" McGonagall looked at him icily.

"Er, no, but what I was saying was that… there is no evidence… that we done that- it- the prank…" Sirius replied.

"I have seen enough evidence Mr. Black, and I know a guilty face when I see one! I know what _you_- Mr. Potter and Mr. Pettigrew, were doing when I seen you in the corridors just before dinner, you had Cornish pixies with you, trying to cover up their sounds. I don't know how you hid them, I don't _want _to know, but I know you did that prank. I, along with other teachers, saw the magic words come out from under the table where you four were hiding!" McGonagall said furiously.

So _that's _how we were discovered.

"You four are getting three weeks worth of detention and twenty points from Gryffindor each! I am absolutely _appalled_ at your behaviour! I expected better from _all_ of you! And if this happens again you'll be facing _more_ than detention! Do I make myself clear?" McGonagall asked shrilly.

We all nodded.

Then suddenly the door opened and Professor Dumbledore entered, he didn't even give us a glance as he sat down in his usual chair behind his desk.

"Thank you Professor McGonagall. I trust you have given out punishments?"

"I certainly have Albus," McGonagall said furiously.

"Good." Dumbledore said, "I can handle it from here Minerva, thank you."

McGonagall, with a last glare at us, turned and left, slamming the door behind her.

"Well…" Dumbledore said.

A silence followed.

"_That_ was certainly entertaining," he said finally. We all exchanged looks of disbelief.

"Professor Dumbledore Sir, we're sorry," James said, "We… we just wanted to have a bit of fun," he said honestly.

"I'm not going to yell at you, or be angry," Professor Dumbledore said. Sirius grinned.

"You have already been punished. But I must say, next time, could you leave the pixies out of it? They are rather irritable." Dumbledore said.

"Certainly Professor!" Sirius replied, grinning.

"The fireworks _were _rather enjoyable. It's been quite a while since I've seen fireworks. And in the Great Hall as well. A spectacular feat. Maybe we should have a fireworks show one of these days," Professor Dumbledore smiled, "but with considerable warning, I think."

I exchanged glances of amazement with James, Peter and Sirius.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sir, do we really have to get twenty points off of Gryffindor, I mean, it _did _provide you with some entertainment. We don't have to have that many points taken off the house, do we? I mean, we've got to win the House Cup," Sirius said.

"Ah. Sorry Mr. Black, but it's not my decision as to your punishment. That is Professor McGonagall's decision. But I must say, I admire your regard for your house," his eyes twinkled as he looked as Sirius.

Sirius smiled. "Thank you Professor."

"That's quite all right. But I must add one more thing, try to keep your heads out of trouble please, McGonagall would like Gryffindor to win the House Cup this year as well," Dumbledore said.

We all nodded.

"Well, you are free to go, remember what I've said," Dumbledore said.

We said our thank you's quickly and left.

"I can't believe he was so easy on us!" James said as we stepped off the revolving staircase.

"Me either!" replied Peter.

"McGonagall wasn't though," I said as we walked down the corridor.

"Guys, I've got it!" Sirius said suddenly, as if he hadn't even been listening to what we were saying.

"Got what?" Peter asked, puzzled.

"I've got what we can be called!" Sirius said, beaming.

"Well, what is it?" I asked, eager to know.

"It better not be as bad as 'Sirius Black and his sidekicks'," James muttered.

"'_The Marauders_!'" Sirius said, as if announcing something very big. "It's perfect! Don't you think! It's everything we want it to be! It suggests mischief, it suggests mayhem, it suggests bedlam and pranks in only _two_ words!" Sirius said happily.

"'The Marauders.'" James repeated, a smile on his face, "It does have a certain ring to it, doesn't it?" James said.

"I like it," I said.

"Me too, sounds good," Peter said.

"And it's all thanks to our favourite Professor, Minerva McGonagall!" Sirius said, "Who would have thought it?" he grinned.

"Certainly not me," James said as we walked up a flight of stairs.

"We can be 'The Marauders: The Magical Mischief Makers'!" Sirius said, holding up his arms and waving them around to emphasize his point. "It sounds brilliant!"

It _did_ have a nice ring to it.

"People won't forget that in a hurry," James said.

"I know!" Sirius replied happily.

"So what now?" Peter asked.

"Well I reckon we should go back to the dorm, before someone puts us back in detention for being in the corridors after curfew," I said, glancing at James.

"Yeah, let's go," James said, grinning at me. Sirius didn't know it yet, but we still had some celebrating to do.

"Oh but I really don't feel like it just yet! The night is young my friends! Let us wreak more havoc upon unknowing victims!" Sirius said.

"There's just no stopping him!" Peter said, shaking his head at Sirius.

"But its chilly, I want to go to bed," James said.

I took his lead, "Yeah, me too, I'm exhausted."

"Oh come on guys! Don't be such babies! I want to make some more mischief, and it's more fun with friends," Sirius pleaded.

"But I don't really feel like it," James said.

"James! What's wrong with you? You disgrace me! Since when has James Potter not wanted to make mischief?"

"Well I'm _really_ tired," James said, and to emphasize the point he yawned widely.

Then I had an idea.

"_Okay _then. Seeing as it's your birthday and everything I suppose we _should_ do something," I said. James and Peter both looked at me questioningly.

"Now that's more like it! See, Remus knows how to have a good time!" Sirius said.

"But let's go to the dormitory first. After all, we need to get more supplies," I said. James and Peter smiled knowingly.

"Yeah, we have more dung bombs up there, we should go get them," James said.

"Okay then." Sirius consented. Then James slipped the cloak over us and we made our way towards the Gryffindor tower.

When we arrived at the tower and opened the portrait hole the common room was still half-full and most of the Gryffindors were talking about the prank we had pulled.

"I wonder who it was," A second year girl with blonde hair wondered, as we walked past them silently under the cover of the cloak.

"I _know _who it was," another said.

"Who?" the first girl asked.

"It was that Sirius Black and James Potter, and the other two," the second one said.

"We're famous!" Sirius whispered excitedly.

"How do you know that?" the blonde-haired girl asked.

"Because I saw McGonagall come to get them, they were under the table, and that's where those words came from," the second one explained.

We made our way past them and up the staircase to the dormitory.

Finally, when we arrived at the door, we slipped the cloak off and I opened the door.

A dazzling sight met my eyes. I looked around as Sirius let out a gasp of surprise and joy, there was glitter and confetti absolutely everywhere, floating around the room in the air and covering every space possible, on the floor there was a heap of food that James and Peter had brought up from the kitchen, every food that Sirius had ever mentioned he liked (which was a _lot _if you think about it, and put it all in the one place) was there, and across the wall a banner was draped that read 'Happy Birthday Sirius, You Nutter. From James, Remus and Pete' (James insisted adding the 'nutter' part when we were making it), and streamers of every colour was thrown over the bed posts and tied in every place possible. It looked like chaos but it also looked festive, which suited Sirius perfectly. Organised chaos.

"Wow," was all Sirius could say as we pushed him into the room and closed the door.

"So, do you like it?" Peter asked Sirius as we all sat down on Sirius' bed.

"Do I _like_ it!" Sirius said as he picked up his favourite pudding from the floor and started munching on it, "It's perfect! I love it! I can't believe you guys would do this for me!" Sirius said cheerfully.

"Well I can remember you saying something along the lines of 'I want a good birthday this year or one of you are going to get it,'" James laughed.

"I never said that!" Sirius replied, his mouth full of pudding.

"No, but that's the general vibe we were receiving from you all week," James said, "Right Remus?"

I nodded, "It sure was."

Sirius laughed, "Well, you know, I just wanted to have a good birthday for once…"

"We know Sirius," James replied.

"A birthday that I could remember and look back on and grin, not mope or wish it never happened," Sirius said.

And that's exactly what Sirius Black got.

A birthday he could look back on and remember with a smile instead of a frown.

A birthday that he shared with family, his real family, James, Peter and me. And he was going to remember it for the rest of his days because it was the first birthday that he ever spent feeling _happy _that it was his birthday, and the first birthday he ever spent in the company of the people that cared for him the most.

And that has made all the difference.

* * *

**Jeanie: **Thanks very much, I'm glad you liked it, and the DADA lesson where Prof. Bones helps Remus, yay for nice teachers! I'm glad it makes you laugh a lot:o)

**LupinLover99: **Heh, thanks very very much! You are brilliant also! I'm glad you like the Remus chapters, Remus chaps are always fun!

**BlindedOne**Heh. Patience my friend, paaaaatttience! Heh. You will find out soon enough, just enjoy the other chaps in the mean time:oD. There's only about 4 more chapters to go till they find out! Woooooooooooo! Heh.

**Carlie**** Black: **Thanks! Glad you liked the chapter, and good old Dung. Heh.

**Writer Of Fantasy: **Yes, I'm glad we agree as well! Glad you liked the chapter. Yes writers block is extremely annoying! Thanks very much!

**Janet Lily: **Hey, it wasn't that long since I updated! Heh. :D. Very glad you liked the chapter. Yes, I do focus on friendships a bit more than the normal routine at Hoggie Warts, but I'm interested in seeing the friendship between the four, not the normal routine at Hogwarts, their friendships are so strong and unique and that's why I wanted to write about that so glad you like it. Glad you liked the quote of the day!

**French Chipmunk: **Thanks very much! Supposedly doing your IPT essay, eh? Heh, glad you found it! Thanks again!

**BrennQT**No you're not the 400th reviewer but I still love ya all the same! Glad you liked the conflict between Remus and Sirius, I thought it was about time to show that not everything was hunky dory between the four, that all friends have their mishaps but it sort of makes the friendship stronger afterwards. Thanks very much again, and I really appreciate your reviews!

**Thehpgang**Thanks very much! I'm glad the update came faster than you expected! Wow, I'm glad that Remus seems just normal, and that you sometimes forget he's a werewolf, I try to portray him as a normal person as well. Haha, well your little sister just might be on to something when she says 'theres no such thing as normal', hehe. Dumbledore agrees with her. Thanks again!

**Anarane**Thanks! I'm glad you liked the ending! Yes, Sirius and Remus both have it bad, but as long as they've got their friends and Hogwarts everything won't be so bad for them. Thanks very much! I love your reviews!

**Flamingteen**Thanks very much! I'm glad you like the idea!

**Padfoot's**** Mate: **Aw, that's okay! I wanted to dedicate it to you! Thanks very much for reviewing! Every review counts! Heh. Thanks again!

**Elvenwolf123321: **Heh, don't worry I love your reviews! I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know if he ever went to school, I guess I just assumed that he did, well if he did I can see him supplying MWPP with things for pranks. The story will be very long, that is the whole seven years if I can manage it!

**Visualpurple**Aw its okay! You were soooo close! 399! But I love you all the same! I really appreciate all your reviews and everything! Well I also have a ton of chapters as well! I'm glad you like the chaps about friendships and that, and there's nothing wrong with a bit of mush, I seem to throw a lot of that in here as well! Thanks very much again!

**Lavender-sykes: YAY! You're my 400th reviewer! Congratulations! **Well thanks a bunch, and I'm glad you hit the 400th mark cause I was waiting and waiting and it seemed that I'd have to post another chap before I even hit 400, but seeing as you reviewed I didn't! I love you! Hehe. I'm glad you like the story and the friendships! Once again: THANKYOU! Woot woot:D


	26. Exams, Pranks and The End of First Year

**Year 1972, First Year**

**James Jabbers:**

**Quote of the Day: **_Do unto others before they do unto you… alternatively; do unto other's **worse** than they did unto you… Especially if they're slimy Slytherins…_

Our first year at Hogwarts was finally coming to an end; it had entered the month of June which meant exam season for everyone.

Everybody, especially the fifth years who had their OWL's and the seventh years who had their NEWT's, could be seen with their head stuck in their books, hastily scribbling down last minute notes or revising things over and over again.

Everyone that is, except for Sirius and me.

Remus insisted on revising things and studying his behind off as he had been known to miss school days at a time throughout the whole year, but despite this he was still getting good marks and when we tried to tell him this he just grunted and told us to go find something constructive to do. Some people get so narky around exams, I tell you. Well, seeing as we only had one exam to go, which was Defense Against the Dark Arts, Sirius and I felt like doing something else other than sitting inside with a bunch of zombies and looking through books. It did get utterly tedious.

"Remus let's go outside and go for a walk or something," I said as I looked out at the clear blue sky longingly.

"I can't. Unlike you two I want to get good marks in these exams," Remus replied, not taking his eyes off his book.

Sirius groaned. "You know you'll get top marks anyway, you don't need to study."

"I don't know if I'll get top marks or not, that's why I need to study." Remus replied.

"But we've only got one exam to go," I said.

"Yes, one _important_ exam," Remus said.

"For Merlin's sake. You know everything there is to know about Defense, so come and at least walk outside," Sirius said.

"I'm perfectly comfortable here."

"Take your books with you for all I care. Just look at that beautiful sunshine, don't you just wish you could bask in it?" Sirius asked, pointing at the window.

Remus finally tore his eyes away from his book and looked out the window.

"Come on Remus," I pleaded.

"Fine then, I'll come, but only for a walk," Remus gave in.

"About time!" Sirius said.

We all stood up, Remus with a book in hand, and made our way out of the Gryffindor Common Room and down the corridors and out into the fresh air of the Hogwarts grounds. It felt much better being outside than cooped up in the common room hunching over books, I thought, as I breathed the fresh air in and let the sunshine warm my face.

"See isn't this nicer than inside?" I said as we walked across the grass.

"I suppose it is," Remus smiled.

"Let's go to the beech tree," Peter said, so we made our way over to our favourite beech tree which we liked to sit under when the weather was nice.

I looked around the grounds as I sat down under the beech tree, many other students were taking advantage of the nice weather and were sitting in the grass, talking or reading books.

Remus, now that he was here didn't instantly open his book to study; instead he lay in the grass enjoying the sunshine. Sirius was skimming rocks into the lake and Peter was looking through Remus' book.

"I wonder if I throw a rock hard enough, would it hit the Giant Squid?" Sirius wondered aloud.

"No one would be dumb enough to do that," Remus murmured, his eyes closed, "You being the exception, of course," he added.

Sirius pretended to look outraged, "I'm not dumb."

"Could've fooled me," I joked.

"Right, that's it James Potter! You're going in the lake!" And with that, he jumped up and started to tackle me. We tackled each other, rolling around on the ground, and we were dangerously close to the lake's edge when suddenly I heard Remus yell "Watch out!" and before I could respond I felt someone ram both Sirius and I into the muddy shallows of the lake.

"Hey!" I said in outrage as Sirius landed on my leg and let out a roar of anger.

I felt the cold water seeping into my robes. Despite being a warm summer's day the lake was absolutely freezing. I whipped my head around to the lake's edge where Evan Rosier, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange and Snivellus stood, laughing their heads off with malicious glee. Remus and Peter had just come running over to the edge of the lake and were looking at us concernedly.

I picked myself up and glared at the four of them furiously, "You rotten filthy bloody prats!" I yelled as Sirius stood up beside me and instantly started sloshing his way over to the Slytherins in outrage, whipping his wand out.

"Oh, we're sorry, you looked like you needed a wash, you know, to get that _filth _off you," Rabastan said and the rest howled with laughter.

"You bloody bastards!" Sirius said furiously. I made my way angrily after Sirius so I could help him.

"Oh shut up Black. You needed to have a bath you filthy rat," Snivellus hissed, whipping his wand out of his pocket and aiming it at Sirius. Remus and Peter pulled their wands out.

"Piss off Snivellus you're the one that needs a wash you piece of stinking slime!" Sirius said savagely.

"Now now Black, _you're _the one covered in slime," Rosier said silkily.

"And _you_ will be in a minute! You bunch of cowards!" I said furiously.

Suddenly, before I had time to even mutter a curse, Snivellus aimed his wand at me and yelled. I felt a curse hit me, and suddenly my ears began to twitch and wiggle uncontrollably. The Slytherins howled with laughter. Instantly I aimed my wand at Snivellus and was about to curse him back when suddenly I heard someone yell:

"What is happening here!" It was Professor Bones, he must have seen it all and come running down from wherever he had been.

"They pushed us in the lake!" I said angrily, pointing at the four Slytherins who hastily put their wands back in their robes.

"I know that Mr. Potter, I saw it," Professor Bones replied.

"They looked like they needed a wash," Rodolphus said.

"We thought they _wanted_ to go into the lake," Snivellus said snidely, a malicious look on his face.

"I don't want to hear your excuses Mr. Snape. That was a dirty trick you four just pulled, and I don't like people who sneak around behind other people's backs," Bones said sharply, eyeing the Slytherins, "Come with me now, please, all four of you," he said to them.

"What about _those_ two!" Snivellus said, nodding at Sirius and I.

"What _about_ them?" Professor Bones looked at Snivellus, "They didn't do anything wrong."

"They were about to curse us," Rodolphus said.

"As I seem to remember, you cursed them, not the other way around," Professor Bones said firmly, and then he waved his wand at me and my ears stopped twitching crazily. "Now come with me you four," Professor Bones said to the Slytherins and then walked briskly away; the Slytherins had no other choice but to follow them.

"I can't believe those bloody slimy bastards!" Sirius said when they had left.

"Me either! They'll pay for that, those stupid worthless rotten prats!" I said angrily.

"That _was _a dirty trick," Remus said as we walked back over to the beech tree to sit under it.

"Tell me about it," Peter agreed.

Sirius and I performed a spell to clean ourselves up.

"And hear what Snivellus said? The grimy little swot!" Sirius said, "Oh he's going to get it this time, he doesn't have Rosier and the Lestranges to save him in class."

"Well at least Bones is punishing them," Remus said, lying back down.

"I hope he gives them two months of detention cleaning bed pans in the hospital wing!" Sirius said bitterly.

"Wishful thinking," Peter replied.

"Well they deserve it," Sirius spat.

"I can't believe they pushed us in the lake, dirty gits," I said. Then I had an idea, "We should get them back. Tonight," I said.

Sirius' eyes twinkled wickedly as he grinned.

Remus groaned. "You can't do it tonight!"

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because our Defense exam is tomorrow, that's why!"

"So?"

Remus rolled his eyes, "You need to study for it. You haven't even done any study since, well… ever, come to think of it,"

"Who needs study?" Sirius said. I agreed as Sirius continued, "We don't need to revise anything; I know all of it already. Anyway, I studied last night."

"A last minute skim through of a Defense text book before you go to sleep does not count as studying Sirius," Remus replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yes it does. That's all the study _I_ need."

Remus just groaned again, "Well don't come crying to me if you get bad marks."

"I don't cry," Sirius replied. "So are you in Pete?"

"Er- no. I _should _do some studying, I mean, Defense isn't exactly my strong point," Peter replied.

"Aw come on! You're no fun!"

"I would, but I can't. Sorry." Peter replied.

"At least _someone_ around here has some sense," Remus grinned.

"Well it looks like it's just you and me James," Sirius said, looking at me, "These girls need to study," Sirius nodded towards Remus and Peter. Remus poked his tongue out at him.

"So what can we do?" I wondered.

"I dunno, I was just thinking dung bombs in their common room," Sirius grinned.

"But where the hell is their common room?" I wondered.

"I have no idea. We could just follow one of the Slytherins back there in the Invisibility cloak," Sirius suggested.

"Good idea," I replied.

"But you can't do anything too obvious or they'll know it was you," Remus said.

"So? They won't have any proof," Sirius replied.

Remus just shook his head.

"Well let's get going then, if we're going to follow a Slytherin then we should get the cloak and all that," I said, standing up. "Are you two coming back to the dorm?" I asked Remus and Peter, who were now testing each other on dark creatures.

"Nah, I might stay here for a while," Remus replied, looking up from his book.

"Before he wouldn't leave the common room now he wants to stay here," Sirius commented.

"I think I'll stay here too," Peter replied.

"All right then, see ya," I said, and started to walk back to the castle with Sirius.

"I can't wait to get those mangy prats back," Sirius said as we walked across the lush grass.

"Me either," I replied, "What else can we do?" I asked him.

"I know! Itching powder!" Sirius said triumphantly, a smirk on his face.

"Great idea!" I replied. I couldn't wait to get those Slytherins back.

We tried to think of other ideas as we walked back to the common room and up to our dormitory. When we arrived at the dormitory we got all the dung bombs we could carry and a packet of itching powder, then we were ready.

"Got everything?" Sirius asked as we slipped the Invisibility cloak over ourselves.

"Yep," I replied, an armful of dung bombs under my arm.

"Showtime," Sirius grinned, and then we made our way out of the dormitory and out of the tower.

We walked silently for a while, making our way down to the lower floors, as there were many people around, walking back to their common rooms.

"Where do you reckon their common room is?" Sirius asked as we walked down a corridor close to the dungeons.

"I have no idea," I replied, "It must be around here somewhere though."

"Hey, let's follow Biddick," Sirius said as Simon Biddick, a fat, arrogant first year Slytherin, walked past.

I nodded and we silently followed Biddick. Suddenly Sirius pulled out a dung bomb and threw it at Biddick, it hit him from behind and he whipped around, peering down the corridor to see who was there. The dung bomb, which smelt of rotten eggs (if you haven't smelt rotten eggs before consider yourself lucky) seeped into his clothes as he wrinkled his nose.

I looked at Sirius blankly, not only had he put us in danger for no reason but now we would have to smell rotten eggs until we got into the common room. Fortunately Biddick just shrugged and turned around because he was too stupid to do anything else.

"I couldn't help it," Sirius whispered with a smirk on his face as Biddick continued walking.

Some long winding passages that went under the school later Biddick stopped at a stretch of bare stone wall. He stood for a moment, as if trying to remember something.

"What was that new password again?" He murmured to himself.

Sirius groaned beside me, "Of all the Slytherins we chose to follow the stupidest one."

I nodded and watched Biddick in frustration as he rubbed his chin and looked at the wall, tapping his foot.

"Pure-blood," he grunted.

Nothing happened.

"Er- serpent?"

Again the wall did not move.

We stood there for almost a full ten minutes as Biddick tried various possible passwords which didn't move the wall aside a millimeter. Both Sirius and I felt like smacking Biddick across the side of the head. It took most of my willpower not to yell 'Work out the frickin' password you stupid swot!' And it must have taken Sirius more willpower than that because I could see his frustration growing by the second.

"What _are _you doing Biddick?" A voice said behind us. Sirius and I (and Biddick) turned around quickly to see none other than Sirius' cousin, Bellatrix Black, walking towards Biddick. Sirius looked at her with utmost loathing.

"I can't remember the password," Biddick replied.

"Typical," she said derisively. "What _is_ that horrible stench?" Bellatrix looked at Biddick in disgust, wrinkling up her nose.

"Basilisk," Bellatrix muttered and suddenly a stone door which was concealed in the wall slid open to reveal the Slytherin common room. Bellatrix and Biddick entered the common room and Sirius and I quickly followed them inside.

I looked around as we entered. The Slytherin common room was a long underground room with a low roof. It quite reminded me of a cave. Which isn't in the least surprising because most (well, let's face it – _all_) of the Slytherins act like surly cave men and women. Hanging around the rough stone walls were round, greenish lamps which gave off an eerie glow. No wonder most of the Slytherins looked like they had never seen sunlight before, I thought as I peered around the dark room.

Most of the occupants of the common room were sitting in chairs around a fireplace which had a richly carved mantelpiece. I looked at them sitting in the chairs, I only knew some of them, they were the first year Slytherins plus other's including Bellatrix, Narcissa, Rosier, the Lestranges, Snivellus, Malfoy, and Wilkes who was a 5th year Slytherin that hung around the others. Some of the other Slytherins sitting there I didn't know, nor did I particularly want to. I sure was glad that I wasn't in Slytherin, I hated the dark arts and if anyone practiced the dark arts then it was definitely the Slytherins. I noticed that Biddick had gone straight to his room; no doubt he was going to try and get the smell off him. Only because Bellatrix had noticed it.

"Look at this place," Sirius whispered with a look of contempt at the room and its occupants, "I'm just glad that they didn't put _me_ in this hellhole," he said.

He must be glad because I knew that his pureblood crazy parents wanted him to be in Slytherin, and the rest of his family was in Slytherin. But Sirius definitely was not like the rest of the Blacks, I thought, as I looked at his cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa who were sitting in their chairs looking arrogantly at their peers. Nope, I thought, Sirius definitely belonged in Gryffindor, not in this cold, dark place.

"Are you ready to wreak havoc?" I whispered to Sirius, handing him half the dung bombs as he gave me some itching powder.

"Always," Sirius replied with a sideways glance at me, a grin on his face.

"I say we use the itching powder first," I suggested.

"Okay. Let's do it then."

"Snivellus is mine," Sirius murmured. I nodded.

With that we made our way over to where most of the Slytherins were sitting. We walked behind Snivellus' chair and I opened my packet of itching powder whilst Sirius begun to sprinkle it on Snivellus, in his hair, on his robes, and basically all over him. Instantly he began to scratch himself, steadily it got worse and his friends began to notice his problem.

"Got fleas Severus?" Bellatrix let out a short barking laugh.

Snivellus glared at her, "No more than you Bellatrix, I feel itchy all of a sudden."

We then walked over to where Bellatrix, Narcissa and Malfoy were sitting on a couch. I had great pleasure in sprinkling the powder all over Malfoy whilst Sirius sprinkled it all over his two cousins with a wicked grin.

By now all four of them were scratching themselves like a pack of monkeys.

"What the hell is this! I'm so itchy!" Malfoy said as he scratched himself.

Sirius and I held back a laugh as we went around the other Slytherins and sprinkled itching powder all over them. The great thing about itching powder is that it takes more than a couple of days to wear off.

By now we had all the Slytherins frantically itching themselves and exclaiming in frustration. We had poured the most on Rosier, Snivelly, Malfoy and the Lestranges and were very happy to see that they were itching like crazy.

"Now for the dung bombs!" Sirius said, aiming a dung bomb at Snivellus. He pelted it at him and instantly it hit him fair in the chest, making him jump up and then screw up his nose.

"What the hell was that!" Snivellus exclaimed, peering in the direction it had come from to see nothing.

"You _really _should take a shower Snape," Malfoy said, covering his nose with his hand, which he soon had to abandon because he had the sudden urge to scratch himself. Many of the other Slytherins had the same problem, I noted as I tried very hard to suppress my laughter. Most of them were standing up so it was easier to scratch hard to get to places. Sirius and I then wreaked absolute havoc on the whole lot of them, we threw the rest of our dung bombs at all of them and around the common room so that the smell would stay there.

"We should do this more often!" Sirius said as he threw a dung bomb at Rabastan Lestrange who yelled in anger whilst itching himself which provided us both with adequate amusement.

We kept pelting the Slytherins with dung bombs as they ran around in confusion trying to dodge the dung bombs that were pelted at them from every direction.

"Someone's in here!" Rosier said.

"Of course someone's in here you idiot!" Malfoy said, trying to dodge flying dung bombs.

He was as bad at that as he was as trying to hit the bludger in Quidditch.

"I bet you it's the Gryffindor rats!" Rodolphus Lestrange said.

"We should get out of here," I said. Not only was the smell unbearable but if we stayed here too long we might be discovered.

Sirius nodded and with one last look at the chaos we had created, we made our way to the door. I took one last look at the Slytherins, who, by now, were itching like mad and smelt like the castle sewerage system and grinned broadly.

"Mischief managed!" Sirius said, looking around at the scene we had created and smirking.

I nodded and in the confusion we slipped out through the stone door and back into the passageway we had came. Once we were far enough away from the common room we stopped and burst out laughing.

"_That_," Sirius said, "Was brilliant!" he laughed.

"I know! Did you see Snivelly, itching like a gorilla!" I replied. We both burst out laughing.

"And the best part about it is that they'll be like this for the next week or so!" Sirius said, grinning. "This is gold!"

"Tell me about it!" I replied.

Once we had recovered we got back up and made our way back to our own common room and up to the dormitory.

"You stink," was the first thing Remus said to us as we entered and pulled off the invisibility cloak.

Sirius and I both burst out laughing at this and Remus and Peter shook their heads at us.

"So what did you do?" Peter asked eagerly when we had sat down.

"Oh you should have seen it Petey!" I said, "It was classic!"

"Yeah," Sirius chortled, "Pure gold! We put itching powder all over the prats, and then threw dung bombs at them!" Sirius said, grinning.

"And the best thing about it is that it'll last for at least a week!" I added.

"Imagine! Snivelly will be scratching like that for a _week_!" Sirius said as he changed his clothes. "Its pure gold!"

* * *

The last day of exams dawned and when we arrived at our last exam, Defense Against The Dark Arts, we noted with a vindictive pleasure, that Snivellus was still scratching like mad, _and_ he let off the pungent smell of rotten eggs. Sirius and I tried in vain to stifle our laughs as he walked past us, glaring. 

"Jeez Snivellus, could you take a bath at least _once_ a week?" Sirius said as he walked past.

"Shut your mouth Black. I knew it was you and Potter that did this! And I'll get you back, I assure you!" he spat.

"Maybe _you_ need a good long dip in the _lake_," I said, matching his glare.

"You need it more than I do Potter. Although, it might not wipe off all that _filth_," Snivellus hissed.

"That's funny, I thought _you _were the one that stinks like the sewer," I retorted. Snape pulled out his wand, but before he could do anything more Professor Flitwick came and we all had to enter the classroom.

"Professor Flitwick," Sirius put his hand up as we sat down.

"Yes Mr. Black?" Flitwick shuffled over to him.

"Well, I don't think I can work with that pungent smell in the air, it's kind of affecting my performance you see," Sirius said, "I think you should put Sniv- I mean Snape, in another room. I'm sure other people can't stand it as well."

Snape gave Sirius the death glare and I could just tell that he was thinking up horrible plans to get us back.

"Yes Professor, he's quite right, I don't think I can work in these conditions either." I said.

Well Snape _did_ deserve it. He should have thought of the consequences before he pushed us in the lake and jinxed me.

Sirius flashed me a grin and Snivellus gave me his favourite look of loathing combined with another death glare he reserved just for me.

Professor Flitwick frowned at us. "Boys, I'm sure you can work in these conditions…"

"But Sir, I really can't concentrate if there's a particularly bad smell about, particularly that of rotting eggs. I'm allergic to such smells," Sirius said. "And James can't cope with these conditions either."

Professor Flitwick raised his eyebrows at Sirius and then he raised his wand and said an incantation, then a spurt of pink smoke came puffing out of his wand which smelt like flowers and covered up the smell of rotting eggs.

"There. Now no more complaining." Professor Flitwick said as he handed Sirius his exam.

Sirius looked thoroughly disappointed that Snivellus wasn't banished to another room, and what was worse, we had to smell flowers through the whole exam.

"You may start now," Professor Flitwick said, looking at a clock at the front of a room and sitting at a desk.

I opened my paper and started to answer the questions.

* * *

Well the last exam went by quite quickly and I think I did quite well, actually, I _know _I did great because I found it quite easy and I _did_ study, even if it was a last minute effort. 

Quite suddenly our second last day of our first year had come upon us. It was a Friday afternoon and we had just finished lessons and as usual the first years had the afternoon free so basically we were free to mess around and do whatever we pleased.

I was in the common room with Sirius, repacking my trunk. Remus and Peter had gone for a walk around the grounds and to visit Hagrid.

Sirius and I still needed to pack up our stuff so we couldn't go.

"So what are you doing this summer?" I asked Sirius as I shoved a pair of socks into my trunk.

"Nothing most likely," Sirius replied mournfully, putting a pair of trousers back into his trunk.

I could tell already that Sirius didn't want to leave Hogwarts and go back to his house, Grimmauld Place. He hated it just as much as he hated his family. He had to spend a whole summer with nobody but his family who he didn't get along with at all and now since he was in Gryffindor, and had made friends with Remus, Peter and me, his parents would only treat him worse.

"Well you should come to my house for a couple of weeks or something," I said, hoping to lift his spirits. Even though I was a bit sad at leaving Hogwarts there would always be next year and I got to spend time with my family, who I hadn't seen since the Easter holidays.

Sirius looked at me and his eyes lit up, "Really? Could I?"

"Of course," I replied.

"Oh that's great James!" Sirius replied happily.

"And you can stay in my room," I said, "that is- as long as you don't yell in your sleep," I added with a grin, "I hear enough of that around here."

Sirius grinned, "I'll try not to. But no guarantees," he laughed.

"Well I'll write you a letter sometime then." I replied, packing more things into my trunk.

"James?"

"Yes?"

"Make it sooner rather than later, okay?" Sirius looked at me pleadingly.

"Of course," I replied, wanting to take Sirius to my house as soon as we got off the train just so he wouldn't have to suffer at the hands of his horrible family.

Sirius smiled.

I took one last look under the bed to see if there was anything I had left behind. I peered under the bed and stretched my hand under there to pick up something that looked like a bit of paper. I pulled it out from under the bed and looked at it.

It was a photograph that Jared had taken of me and Sirius at Christmas time when he had received a camera from his Uncle Alphard. There stood Sirius and I, tinsel wrapped around our heads, both grinning, arms around each other's shoulders, we were standing in front of the fire in the common room. Sirius had been truly happy in that picture as he had finally been accepted by the older Gryffindors as a true Gryffindor and not like the rest of the Black's. Sirius had given me the photograph to keep. It was the only photo of Sirius and I that he had ever taken. Many of the other ones were of me closing my eyes on Christmas morning when Sirius thought it was hilarious to see me be annoyed by the flashes of his camera.

"Remember this?" I asked Sirius as I handed him the photo.

"Yeah," he smiled. "Good times."

He made to hand it back, but I stopped him, "You keep it," I said.

Sirius smiled, "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

And then the door opened and Remus and Peter walked in.

Sirius, as if struck by a sudden idea, started to pull things out of his trunk.

"Erm- I thought you were meant to be _packing_ Sirius, not _un_packing," Remus said, looking at Sirius with bewilderment, who was flinging random objects out of his trunk in search of something.

"Are you planning to stay here for summer?" Peter grinned.

"No, I was looking for this!" Sirius replied as he turned around and held up his camera that his uncle had given him for Christmas.

"Remus, can you take a photo of James and me please," Sirius asked Remus, handing him the camera. So _that_ was his idea.

"Sure," Remus replied, and then Sirius showed him how to use it before standing next to me and putting his arm around my shoulder. I did the same, and, both grinning, Remus took the picture.

"Now let's take one of the four of us," Sirius said.

"How are we meant to do that?" Peter asked.

"There's a button on here somewhere that takes the picture automatically," Sirius said, inspecting the camera that Remus had given back to him. "Ah, here it is," he said. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yes," we all said as the three of us gathered to take the photo.

Sirius put the camera on the windowsill and clicked the button, then he ran over to us and we all posed as the camera flashed automatically.

"There we go," Sirius said, smiling. Suddenly the camera started to make strange noises.

"What's it doing?" I asked as Sirius went to pick it up.

"That must have been the last photo," Sirius replied, "Its rewinding the negative. Well James, you can keep this," Sirius took the photo of him and me at Christmas time out of his pocket and handed it to me. "I'll have my own when I can get them developed."

"No, you keep it," I said. "You can send me a copy, but you keep it until you get the film developed," I said. Sirius would need a reminder of his friends more than I would.

Sirius smiled. "Cool."

With that, we all went down to our last feast at Hogwarts for our first year.

* * *

Our last day of our first year had finally come, and it was with sadness that I boarded the Hogwarts Express for the journey home to London. Sirius, Remus, Peter and I managed to find a compartment to ourselves and in the long hours of the journey we talked, ate and made the most of being able to use magic before our holidays by practicing some spells. We also used the last of our dung bomb supply by throwing them at the Slytherin's compartments and then running as fast as we could back to our own compartment before the Slytherins had worked out that something was beginning to smell like rotten eggs. 

Remus, Peter and I tried our best to cheer Sirius up on the train, but he was still gloomy as the train pulled into the station at King's Cross.

"Oh come on Sirius, cheer up," Peter said, as Sirius looked particularly sad.

"It's a bit hard when I know I have to spend two whole months at that hell hole my parents call a home," Sirius replied gloomily.

"Well, whenever your particularly miserable, remember, we're always here for you mate," I said.

Sirius gave a short smile and then went back to being gloomy, "Thanks James."

"And you won't have to spend _all _summer there, you can come to my house," I said.

"Yeah, that's if they let me." Sirius replied.

"Well hopefully they will," I said.

"Yeah. Hopefully." Sirius replied.

"Now cheer up," Remus said, as we stepped off the train.

We stood on the platform, people milling around us with their hooting owls and other pets, parents were kissing their children, students hugging their younger siblings and students were chatting and exchanging goodbyes before going home with their families.

Sirius didn't say anything for a while, and then, "…it's just that, well, I've had such a great year with you guys. Going to Hogwarts, making great friends, pranking people, even some of the lessons were fun. Now I have to go back to _that-_" Sirius' gaze settled gloomily on three people standing away from the rest of the crowd with haughty looks on their faces.

There was a tall woman standing there, her dark hair framing her angular features, she had an elegant nose, tight-lipped mouth and high cheekbones. She would have been pretty if not for the look of disgust on her face as she gazed at the people around her. She hadn't noticed her son yet.

The man next to her, who was unmistakably Sirius' father, Amias Black, stood next to his wife stiffly. His face was not unlike Sirius', with the same grey eyes and shapely nose, his black hair was combed back. In front of Sirius' parents stood a boy of around ten years of age. _That_, I thought, must be Regulus Black, Sirius' little brother. He stood there proudly with a smirk on his face. His hair was clipped to just below the ears and his dark brown eyes showed a hint of arrogance and disdain as he looked around at the crowd. He looked exactly like Sirius had described him, a 'right stuck up little prat', I believe were his exact words. The three of them were wearing black robes with an emblem that I had noticed was embroidered on many of Sirius' own items, it was the Black family crest.

For all the world if not for Sirius bearing the same crest and name as the rest of his family it would have seemed that he didn't even belong to the Black family.

"It'll only be for two months," Remus said, trying to comfort him as he tore his gaze away from Sirius' family.

"Two months feels like two years in Grimmauld Place," Sirius replied.

"James!" A voice called, and then my mother and father came into view. I smiled as they made their way over to me and hugged me. I introduced them to Sirius, Remus and Peter.

"So you three are what James can't stop talking about," my mother said, smiling at them.

They all smiled back.

"Mum, is it all right if Sirius comes to stay for a bit in the holidays?" I asked.

"Certainly James," she replied.

Sirius smiled genuinely. "Thank you Mrs. Potter!"

"That's quite all right. Remus and Peter are welcome to stay as well," Mum said. Peter and Remus both thanked her.

"Well," Sirius said. It was time to say goodbye for the summer. "I'll see you guys as soon as I can," he said, and then proceeded to shake our hands. "Oh, what the heck!" he said, and then before I knew it he was hugging me, then Remus then Peter in turn. Before we could say our proper goodbye's a shrill voice cut through the air.

"Sirius Black!"

His mother had finally spotted him and had come marching up to him, her husband and son behind her.

Sirius glowered and then turned around to face his mother.

"What do you think your _doing_!"

"Saying goodbye to my _friends_," Sirius replied, glaring at his mother.

"We're going!" she said, and grabbed Sirius' hand before he could do anything about it and started to drag him away.

"I'll write!" I yelled to him as his mother led him away.

As I exchanged glances with him I saw one of the gloomiest looks on his face that I had ever seen. I really wished that there was something more for him that I could do but there wasn't. And then he had disappeared from my sight.

I turned back around and found Peter greeting his family excitedly – his mother was holding his tiny new baby sister – Gabrielle (Gabi for short) who she had given birth to only this month. Peter was very excited at having a new sibling and I could tell he was going to be very happy this summer.

"Well I guess I'll see you next year," Peter said to Remus and me, as he momentarily turned away from his family.

"Yeah, I have to go as well," Remus said as he spotted his parents waiting for him and waved.

We said our goodbyes and with a promise of writing to each other over the summer Remus and Peter both went off with their families as I stood with mine.

Well, I was back where I started, I thought as I watched Peter and Remus disappear from view. And in some ways I was so far from where I started that it wasn't funny.

All in all it had been a great year; I contemplated as I walked through the barrier and into the Muggle world with my parents.

And already, I was quite ready to go back.

To Hogwarts – with Sirius, Remus and Peter.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well… Well. First year is finished (finally – no doubt you are thinking!). That's the end of the year. Thank you to every single reviewer and reader, I _really_ appreciate the time you take to review and read the story. Thank you also to my betas Egwene and Ela who helped _enormously_ in bringing things along. Yay! 

**brennQT**Wow! Thanks very much I'm glad you liked the whole chap! And yes it did all come together, that's how I imagine things, Sirius always planning everything at the last minute but it all goes perfectly fine (most of the time!) Once again thanks and I'm glad you loved the chapter!

**Erica: **Heh, I love that 'saving you from the clutches of Sirius Black' thing too, so James and so Sirius as well! Heh. I'm glad you liked the chap & the prank. Yay for pranks! Heh. I have no experience whatsoever in pranking:p !

**Miss Penny: **Thanks very much! If you're happy I'm happy!

**Koriaena**Thanks very much! Glad you loved the prank!

**Blinded One: **Heh. Yes they will find out soon. Soon enough anyway!

**Visualpurple**Yeah Sirius did have the best birthday! Glad you liked where 'marauders' came from. I suppose they had to get caught some time!

**Wolfie**Thanks very much! Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know how I come up with the plot, I'm just working around the main plot of MWPP, what we know so far about them, J.K already gave the plot away, I'm sort of 'filling in the gaps' you could say. As to where my ideas come from, well, I just start writing and well, there they are.

**Anarane**Thanks very much! I'm really glad you loved the chapter! It seems to be popular. Yay!

**LupinLover99: **Thanks very much! Glad Sirius was in character and glad you liked HBSUNFRJP! Hehe.

**French Chipmunk: **Thanks very much! Well at least this (I hope) is more amusing than biology and IPT! Heh. Thanks again!

**Lavender-sykes: **Hi! Thanks very much! Glad you did like it, since it was dedicated to you! Glad I could keep you laughing! Thanks again!

**Me: **Thanks very much! Glad you like it! Aw, Philomena was only showing Remus a different way of looking at things, but glad she's got a personality! Thanks again!

**Jennykim2007: **Wow! Thanks very much for all your reviews! I'm glad you reviewed the chapters! Glad you like Remus in my fic and you think I got his personality right, its hard to characterize him! As to your question, no there really won't be any of Remus actually reading this and reacting to it. I've launched into this huge story and yes I know Remus is reading this just after Sirius dies, but I think to cut into the story and write about Remus' reactions would kind of ruin it, well not ruin it per say, but it would interrupt the flow the story already has going. At the end of the story though I will show Remus' thoughts and reactions in an epilogue, as his thoughts and reactions started with a prologue so I think it only right that he have the epilogue as well. Anyway, I hope this hasn't disappointed you, but to show Remus' reactions would interrupt the flow and I don't want to keep jumping back and forward in time. Though thanks very much for your suggestion and your reviews. I really appreciate them!

**Janet Lily: **Thanks very much! Yes the origins of the famous four are out! Their secret is blown! Heh! Glad you liked the chapter, and someone noticed it was well planned! Yay! I tried! Heh. It all fitted together nicely in the end, that's what I liked about the chapter. Anyway, thanks a heap again!

**Thehpgang**Thanks very much! I'm glad you liked the end! I'm glad that the endings aren't getting well… repetitive…! Cause I always like to end things on a conclusion or on a 'happy note' as some would say. So glad its not getting boring! Yay! Thanks again!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Heh! Thanks very very very much! I'm really glad you liked it! And I will not get a big head. Promise! Heh.

**Elvenwolf123321: **Thanks very much! Glad you liked it! 200 pages! Wow. That is a fair bit! I do feel kinda accomplished. Thanks again!

**Pickledishkiller**Thanks very very much! They will figure out Remus is a werewolf soon enough, they cant yet cause its only been first year. But they will find out pretty soon, don't worry! Thanks very much again!

**Naru**** Lovely: **Woah…! Now that is the _longest_ review I've ever received! That's a great thing! Thanks very very very much! I'm really flattered and appreciate it that you took your time to review each chapter when you didn't have to and give your thoughts on it! So thanks _so much!_! I really do appreciate it and love when reader's give their thoughts and long reviews! I'm leaving you till last because my reply will be _hugely_ long! So, to reply to everything you've said…

I'm really flattered that you've been searching for a story like mine and you say you've found it with mine. Wow! Although you should give writing about MWPP a go, its fun!

1. Yes, now that you point it out "Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse behind" does describe James and Lily very well. Though you know I've never looked at it from that POV. I've always thought of Sirius when I read that quote, I imagine it to be Sirius' sort of life motto, he's the kind of guy who wants to live fast and leave a good looking corpse behind (I'm not sure about the die young part!) But whenever I thought of that quote I associated it with Sirius. Never thought about it from J&L's POV, though it makes so much sense!

2. I think you're friends could give you a much better view on yourself than you could, so that's why I did it that way. Like Sirius would know James inside out and if James wrote about himself he wouldn't write about his faults or might miss some things that Sirius wouldn't and he probably wouldn't write how great a friend he is! Or anything remotely fluffy about himself!

3. Wow. I didn't know it could affect someone like that (the part where Sirius describes James) I'm glad it was touching, and seemed real. Thanks very much!

4. Yes I know what you mean about the exclusion of Peter, I completely agree. You know though, before I read 'Forever Alive' (have you read that? It's the most awesome MWPP story ever, if you're looking for good MWPP stories I definitely recommend it) I always hated Peter, but reading about him through fanfiction made me realize that he wasn't a blubbery jerk but a genuine person before he betrayed his friends. After all, he must have had some redeeming qualities for the most popular guys in class to hang out with him. Oh no, you sense something bad about his family? You're giving away potentially top secret plots here! Heh. Just joking. But you know, I think along the same lines as you, and I find myself sometimes planning the plot of why Peter did what he did, what made him do it, and then I realize that I'm only going to write about the seven years while they're at school anyway! But who knows…

5. Yes I agree about Remus as well, he would have had to have a sense of humour, 1. because to hang around with those three you would _have _to have a sense of humour or you would go insane, and 2. if he didn't really have much of a sense of humour I don't know if Sirius and James would hang out with him as much. Anyway. I'm glad you liked Remus. There are a lot of Remus lovers out there. But I myself, I would have to say I love Sirius the most, followed very very closely by Remus.

6. About the Sirius – dead thing, well I've had time to think about it and read what others think, and as much as I hate to say it, as much as I hate everything about it, I do believe he won't be coming back (as a living person). Oh god. That sounds horrible. But J.K was really emotional about that scene and yeah. I guess we can only wait (and hope) and see…

7. Bellatrix – I've always thought of her as the middle child, and Andromeda as the oldest for some reason, she seems like the oldest sister to me more than Bellatrix. Her name means 'female warrior?' that _is _very appropriate indeed!

8. I'm glad you liked the chapter describing all the teachers, and Remus' cynical interruptions, I love that too. And yes, he is the same Edgar Bones, as in Amelia Bones' brother, who was in the first Order. I pinched him and gave him more character. Philomena, yes she is a bit mysterious isn't she? I like her, she plays a role in Remus' 'story', she helps him a fair bit when he needs it, that's what I like about her. And you shouldn't listen to Sirius' superstitions! Heh. Or should you? Dun dun dun…

9. Yes I felt sorry for Sirius on his first day as well, poor Sirius to have a family like that. The Black's are Dursleyish in the way they treat Sirius. They're so arrogant and nasty. Jared and Dominic get it together in the end though, I think that there are people like that in every house though, like Gryffindor cant all be full of nice people who accept everyone.

10. The animosity between the Slytherins & Gryffindors. I don't really see Godric and Salazaar to be that great friends, I think maybe at first they tolerated each other and maybe even got on because they were building the school, but after Salazaar let known his feelings about muggle's then I don't think Godric would have liked it much and that was when the whole house rivalry started, it just grew from there and of course Riddle wouldn't have helped, but I think its in almost every Slytherin were brought up that way, to hate Gryffindors etc. I mean, after all, that's why they were sorted into Slytherin, because of their personality.

11. I'm very glad that Remus isn't a girl! I've never thought of that! Two monthly pain in the butts in one month! That would be absolutely horrible! The whole lycanthrope matter, yes it is very complicated, I agree. I have no idea what happens when the moon is up during the day. The way I think it works (despite me showing the moonlight hitting him) is that as soon as the moon starts to rise then his transformation starts as well. So maybe when the moon rises in the day Remus has to go to the shack during the day. I don't know.

12. You know I don't really see Viggo Mortensen as Sirius, I think I would just keep thinking of him as Aragorn then! No I missed Orlando at the Oscar's! I couldn't watch it:(

13. Heh, glad you liked the boys prankin' each other. Yes Sirius is quite the actor. I think James would have fallen for it, 1. cause Sirius is a good actor and he looked genuinely distraught, 2. James doesn't know yet fully the capabilities and mischief of Sirius. Heh. Well as to who thought of all the details, I actually imagine Sirius would have thought them up, he just dragged Remus along because he could. Heh.

14. Remus giggles. Heh. Hehehehe. Yes, Remus does emit a giggle once again, though he'd never admit it. I think all of them once in a while when feeling particularly silly, would giggle. I cant remember where I put Remus giggling though. Oh dear. I'm going to find it! Oh I found it. Okay, so I'll put it in context for you, say you're James, you just got tricked by nasty Slytherins to go into the forest, your on the verge of finding a big black scary thing in the forest, your just about to see what it is then Remus steps on a twig and scares the thing away, then he proceeds to laugh for some crazy reason unknown to you, so you are a little bit peeved and want to know what the hell he's doing. So anyway, to sum up, James was just writing that Remus giggled cause he was kinda annoyed with him. He might not've been giggling per say, but he was laughing so James put it down to giggled. I think. Heh.

15. Yeah Hagrid's a great chap. Although I haven't featured him much beyond that chapter. Oops.

16. Glad you love Sirius chapters. They're my absolute favourite ones to write cause you can write cynically and make stupid/funny comments about people cause that's what Sirius would do. Its so much fun!

17. Chapter 21, wow! You cried? I'm glad you found it beautiful, I really wanted to show a bond between James and Remus instead of the usual characters which bond all the time i.e R/S, which I love to do a lot despite this!

18. I'm glad you liked the background on Andromeda and Ted, there will be more about them soon. And Andromeda will actually be featured, not just talked about! Woohoo! Heh. It would make a nice side story.

19. The bet between Sirius and James. Heh, you know, I don't think any of my reviewers have mentioned that yet, I'm glad you did though! I can't wait to write about it! As to who wins… well yes Sirius is the obvious choice, I'm sure James would be outraged to hear so, but James might just have a few tricks up his sleeve Sirius isn't aware of. We'll just have to wait and see I guess. I don't even know who's going to win yet! Heh. Though, now you've mentioned this, I might just have an idea… the plot bunnies are finally attacking! Anyway, I'm sure it'll all come together in the end. Heh.

20. I'm glad you loved the scenes between Sirius and Remus, be assured there will be lots more to come! (I can't help it really!) Anyway, I absolutely love (I know I sound repetitive here!) writing scenes between Sirius and Remus.

Ah. ! That was the longest reply I've ever written to someone so I hope you feel special (heh, just joking). Thanks a _whole _bunch again, I'm really glad you like the story and am honoured that you took the time to write about everything that's happened so far. Now that's some dedication!

Take care!


	27. Summer Blues

**Year 1972 – Summer **

**Sirius' Story:**

**_Most repeated saying of the DECADE: _**_"Regulus is a far better son than you will ever be Sirius!" – Said by my ever-loving affectionate mother. Rolls eyes_

The summer after the first year was an exceedingly unpleasant experience, as I had already known it would be. It was the start of a series of extremely unpleasant summers. My parents were acting exactly like I had imagined they would, they were even worse to me than ever, before and if you don't know by now then you should be paying more attention! Especially if it's _me_ that's writing!), and every time the two of them got together they delighted in lecturing me and generally being royal pains in the arses (am I allowed to say that? Actually, I don't care if I'm allowed to or not, it is partly _my _book and I'll write what I want, despite what Remus says).

Regulus, meanwhile, was prancing around and rubbing in that he was a better son than I would ever be.

One of the only things that stopped me from yelling at the whole lot of them and walking out the door once and for all was my friends. I kept in contact with James, Remus and Peter by letter. I would read their letters over and over again to remind myself that I would soon be back at Hogwarts. I also kept the pictures of James and I and the four of us that I had developed on my bedside table just so I could look at a familiar, friendly face and remind myself that in less than a month I would be back with my friends at my real home.

On one such occasion a couple of days before my relatives' arrival for the last couple of weeks of the summer holidays I found that I couldn't put up with my family's constant taunts any longer. My anger at all of them had been buling at the whole lot of them and walking out the door once and for all was my friends. I kept in contact with James, Remus and Peter by letter. I would read their letters over and over again to remind myself that I would soon be back at Hogwarts. I also kept the pictures of James and I and the four of us that I had developed on my bedside table just so I could look at a familiar, friendly face and remind myself that in less than a month I would be back with my friends at my real home.

On one such occasion a couple of days before my relatives' arrival for the last couple of weeks of the summer holidays I found that I couldn't put up with my family's constant taunts any longer. My anger at all of them had been building up ever since I first walked into Grimmauld Place on the first day of holidays.

"Sirius clean that for Regulus now!" My mother snapped at me as we were halfway through dinner, she pointed to a large puddle of wine on the floor that Regulus had spilt 'accidentally-on-purpose'. Regulus was smirking at me from across the table, gloating in my misery.

"Why should I?" I snapped back. Usually I would have just obeyed and got it over with, but this demand had been one too many. I was getting sick of being ordered around like a plain house elf.

"You will do what you are told boy! Regulus _always _does what he's told!" My mother snapped while Regulus gloated.

"That's because he doesn't have to clean up crap! He doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to! Get _him_ to do it; he's the one that bloody spilled it in the first place! What the hell do we have a house-elf for if you're going to make me do everything for you?" I yelled back at her as I rose from the table, my temper getting the better of me.

"Don't talk back to me Sirius Black! You'll do what you're told!" My mother screeched glaring at me as she too stood up from the opposite side of the table.

"Make me! You're all a bunch of bloody idiots! And I hate you all," I screamed glaring around at my family; I was getting angrier by the second, "especially _you_!" I screamed at my mother.

Suddenly my mother raised her hand, and with all possible force swung it back and struck me on the side of my face. I stood there in shock, my cheek started to sting and my eyes watered. I could feel tears forming at the back of my eyes, but I would never cry in front of them. I would never give them that kind of satisfaction.

"Never. Insult. Me. Again," my mother said in a menacing tone, "now go to your room," she hissed, glaring at me.

"_Gladly_," I said furiously. I turned on my heel and stormed into the corridor and up the staircase to my room, the side of my face still stinging. I slammed the door with a loud bang. Before I could even think about what had just happened a large handsome owl, which I recognized to be James', had come soaring into the open window. It landed on my desk and ruffled its feathers as it stuck its leg out for me to take the letter that was tied to its leg. I walked over to the owl and yanked the letter off its leg; the owl gave an affronted hoot.

I ripped open the letter and found that it was from James; I started to read it,

_Hey Sirius,_

_How are the rest of your holidays treating you? I hope you're not having too bad a time…_

I snorted in disgust… that would be highly unlikely…

_I'm having a pretty good time at the moment, _

Of course he would be, James Potter had the perfect family, the perfect life, the perfect everything, I thought…

_Listen, I was thinking that you could stay at my house the last week of the holidays, mum and dad said it was fine if you were allowed by your parents…_

They'd no sooner let me go to James' house than eat a bag of dead rats…

_But it's okay if you can't. Sorry I didn't ask sooner, but we had a lot of relatives over and went to __Ireland__ for a bit. I just hope you're going okay with your family and all that. Listen, when are you going to get your school stuff in Diagon Alley? Because I'll be there the last week of the holidays, and it would be good to meet up with you, Remus and Peter will be there as well, so try to make it okay? Have you been writing to them? They said you didn't reply to their last letters yet. Well, I hope to see you in Diagon Alley or if you come to stay at my house, okay, send a reply with my owl Erewyn._

_Catch ya,_

_James_

I sat down on my bed and read the letter again, I don't know exactly why but it made me even angrier. I tore up the letter and threw it in the glowing fire across the room. Erewyn nipped me hard on the arm.

"Bugger off you stupid owl!" I said furiously.

James had everything; he had the perfect, loving affectionate family, the perfect house, and a perfect life. I wish, just for one day, that I could have the same things.

I lay back on my bed and tried to calm down. The stupid owl was still pecking me, as much as I yelled at it, swung at it and cursed it he just jumped away and then came back only to peck at me more. Finally, when I had calmed down a bit I picked up a quill and wrote to James.

_James,_

_I'm okay, well no actually I feel like crap to be honest, my family are really starting to get on my nerves, they expect me to do everything for them, and Regulus - don't even get me started on him, he's a stupid bloody prat, I wish I could hang him from the ceiling fan by his toes. I want to get back to Hogwarts already. I doubt very much that my parents would let me stay at your place, with what just happened at dinner I doubt they'd let me go anywhere. They'd rather eat a bag of dead rats than let me have a bit of fun. And I don't know when I'm going to Diagon Alley. I'll see what I can do, it would be good to get out of here._

_Well better go, your blasted owl keeps pecking me; I think you should try and discipline it a bit better. I swear if it pecks me one more time you won't have a bloody owl for much longer!_

_Sirius_

I sealed the parchment and tied it to Erewyn's leg, it hooted then flew off into the dark cloudless sky. I walked over to my bed and lay down on it.

I sighed and stared at the ceiling, thinking over everything that had happened. With every passing day I felt that I was growing ever distant towards my family. And at the moment, I don't think that's a bad thing, not with the way that they treat me. My mother never showed me any real affection, ever, all she did was yell at me, insult me, order me around and ridicule me. Regulus was just an idiot; he accepted the whole 'our-family's-royal-because-we're-purebloods-which-means-we're-better-than-_everybody_-else' thing without question. He was the 'perfect son', and I – the outcast, the brat, the one who never-did-what-he-was-told. My father was, and always had been, distant. He never really even talked to me, as father and son would usually talk and bond. Amias and I had never had that. He was never a proper father but always a distant figure shrouded in inscrutability that I would never know as a dad.

Every passing moment I felt a growing rift between myself and my so-called family.

No, I thought as I stared up at the ceiling, I had a new family now. A family that would never abandon, abuse, ridicule or desert me. That family was James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

And they were the only family that I would _ever_ need.

* * *

A few days after the night I sent a reply to James my relatives turned up. Including my aunt and uncle, Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Andromeda. I stayed in my room when they arrived; I didn't want to see any of them except for Andromeda, as she was the only decent one in the whole family. I was lying on my bed when I heard a knock at the door. 

"Get lost," I said, thinking it would be Regulus, Bellatrix or Narcissa coming to gloat at my misery. The person outside the door was obviously unperturbed by my rudeness as I heard the door open.

"I said: _Get. Lost._ What part of that don't you understand!" I said angrily, not turning to look at the doorway.

"Well that's a nice way to greet someone Sirius!" a voice came from the doorway. A very familiar voice. A voice that I had wanted to hear ever since I got back home.

I sat up instantly from my lying position on the bed and looked to the doorway.

"_Andromeda_! Hey!" I said as I went over to Andromeda and shook her hand. Okay, I admit it, I actually hugged her. But I was in misery; I mean, I was glad to finally see a _friendly_ face.

"So what have you been up to in here?" Andromeda asked as she let go of me and closed the door looking around my room, which was very messy. Hey, you don't expect me to have a clean room after staying in it basically day and night for three days do you? I mean, if it was _Regulus'_ room it would have been clean, but the rotten house-elf Kreacher doesn't come to my room anymore. Basically my mother tells him not to, or I kick him out. He's a useless pain in the arse anyway.

"Nothing much," I said sitting back down on the bed.

"Your father told me about you," Andromeda said as she sat down on a stool next to my desk.

"Lovely," I said sarcastically, "I suppose he told you what a failure I was, and how I'm not as good as Regulus?" I said.

"Well he did say something along those lines, he did tell me that you asked to go to the Potters," Andromeda said as she twirled a lock of dark brown hair around her finger.

She was right, I _had_ asked him. There was no way I was going to ask my mother so I asked Amias and all he did was glance at me and then ignore me.

"Yeah, he just ignored me though!" I replied angrily.

"Don't worry about him Sirius." Andromeda said.

"It's a bit hard not to," I spat, "so who's here anyway?" I asked.

"The usual, Bellatrix, Narcissa-"

"Great," I said sarcastically.

"Hey, at least you don't have to _live _with them," Andromeda said. At that moment I felt sorry for Andromeda, having to live with two complete bitches for sisters.

"Of which I'm glad," I said.

"I heard about what you and your friends did on the train to Bella and Narcissa," Andromeda laughed.

"Good, wasn't it? James is a really cool guy," I said and then launched into the Hogwarts Express story, the story of when I first met James and Remus.

* * *

A few days before the holidays were due to end Andromeda had convinced my parents to let her take me to Diagon Alley as I needed school supplies for my second year. We went by Floo Powder and came out of the fireplace in Flourish and Blotts, the bookshop in Diagon Alley. I dusted the soot and ash off my robes as I stood up; Andromeda had just come out of the fireplace behind me. 

"I really wish they could invent a new way of travelling," Andromeda said as she brushed ashes off her robes and stood up.

"Mmm hmm," I agreed absent-mindedly.

"Do you want to get your books now then?" Andromeda asked as she peered around the crowded bookshop.

"May as well," I replied, as I pulled out my booklist and walked around looking for the books that I would need. Even the prospect of buying new books excited me because it would be very soon that I was back on the Hogwarts Express in the company of my friends and away from Grimmauld Place for the best part of a year. Andromeda inspected some other books while I was looking for mine.

"Ready to go?" I asked Andromeda after I had paid for the new books. Andromeda nodded and closed the book she had been looking at.

"So, are you planning on meeting anyone?" Andromeda asked as we made our way out of the bookshop.

"Yeah, maybe James, Remus and Peter," I said.

"Well I'll meet up with you later then because I've got to go meet someone as well," Andromeda said.

"Who?" I asked curiously.

"None of your business little boy," Andromeda said playfully with the hint of a smile on her lips.

"Oh come on Andromeda, just tell me!" I said.

"You'll find out soon enough I expect," she replied.

"Why can't you just tell me now then?"

"Because."

"Who've I got to tell anyway?" I asked. It was quite true, I'd never tell my family anything, and I'm sure James, Remus or Peter wouldn't be interested.

"You'll see later, okay," Andromeda said as we stopped at a corner on the street.

"Fine,"

"Now, I'll meet you at Florean Fortescue's in a couple of hours so we can have ice cream or something," Andromeda said checking her watch, "Oh, and Sirius,"

"Yeah?"

"Since it _was_ your birthday and I missed it, I want you to have this," Andromeda placed a small sack of galleons in my hands.

"I can't take that!" I said, trying to shove the money back into her hands, to no avail.

"Its not just from me, it's from Alphard as well, we figured that your parents wouldn't get you anything," she said, refusing to take the money back.

"But it's your money! I can't take it, I don't want it," I said.

"Don't be stupid Sirius, you're going to take it, and you have to buy something for yourself by the time that we meet up again," Andromeda said sternly, "and anyway Alphard's got loads of money, a few Galleons to him is nothing," she added as an afterthought. "I'll see you in a couple of hours," Andromeda turned and started walking up the busy street.

"Andromeda! Wait!" I called but she didn't turn around, she just kept walking and soon she was out of sight. I sighed as I pocketed the money. I admit that I did like having extra money but Andromeda and Alphard didn't have to give me money just because my parents were extremely stingy. Well, there was nothing to do about it now, I thought as I looked up the street for a familiar face. I may as well do what Andromeda said and buy myself something with it. Besides, I thought, trying to convince myself that accepting the money was the right thing to do, Alphard _did _have a lot of money. But then again, so did my parents, but they only gave me just enough money to pay for my school supplies. Amias had given me a little extra to buy new robes when Cyrilla was in another room, which surprised me greatly. But then he said he wouldn't have a Black that wasn't properly dressed, even if I was a brat. Which didn't surprise me at all.

"Sirius! Sirius!" A voice called down the street, breaking into my thoughts. I turned around to see James, Remus and Peter hurrying towards me.

"Hey!" I said as they reached me, "how've you been?" I asked, glad to see them after what felt like ages. The only people I had seen all summer was my family and extended relatives, which leaves you with quite the feeling of isolation.

"Good, you?" James asked.

"Same old," I replied indifferently.

"We thought you might not come," Remus said.

"Yeah, well, nearly didn't," I said darkly.

"Oh," Peter said.

"So what have you guys been doing?" I asked.

"Nothing much, dad just bought me a new broom!" James said excitedly.

"Really? Which one?" I asked.

"Oh, the new one that just came out! You should see it Sirius! It's top of the range! You'll love it! I'm going to try to get into the team this year, seeing as second years are allowed!" James beamed.

"I always knew you would," I said with a smile, "so what do you want to do?" I asked, looking around the crowded streets.

"Well we could look 'round the shops if you want," Peter suggested.

"Okay, have you all bought you're school stuff yet?" I asked.

"Yeah, ages ago," James said. I looked over to Remus, who was staring into space; he wasn't talking much and he looked pale and a bit sick. I wondered what was wrong with him. I waved a hand in front of his face; he shook his head and looked up at me.

"What?" he asked.

"You look sick," I said.

"Yeah, been feeling a bit ill lately," Remus said.

"Let's get going," Peter said. We walked up the bustling street and into a shop. I walked over to some shelves, James followed me. Remus and Peter were on the other side of the shop looking at something.

"What do you reckon's wrong with Remus?" I asked as I inspected the items on the dusty shelf.

"Your guess is as good as mine. He always seems sick though, don't you think?" James asked, looking over at Remus, whom was nodding at Peter indifferently.

"Yeah, wonder what's wrong with him," I said as I noticed James picking up a small square mirror and inspecting it. My eyes widened.

"You know what _this_ is!" I said incredulously.

"No," James said, turning the mirror over and inspecting the back of it.

"It's a two way mirror!" I picked up the other one off the shelf, and said James' name into it, suddenly the mirror fogged over and James' face appeared in it. My face appeared in the mirror that James was holding.

"Cool!" James said as he looked at my face in the mirror then up at me.

"You go over there and talk to me, see if it works properly," I pointed to a corner of the shop where I wouldn't be able to hear James. James walked over to the corner and looked into the mirror again.

"Sirius is an idiot," I heard a small voice sounding like James' in the mirror.

"Hey! It works!" I said, "earth to James, stop staring at that Evans' behind," I said as I looked over to James whom was staring at Lily whom had just walked in with a bunch of chattering girls.

"I was not!" James said indignantly as a rude finger sign appeared in the mirror.

I laughed, and then beckoned James back over to me.

"These are so cool!" James said as he looked down at the mirror.

I thought about the money sack sitting snugly in my pocket that Andromeda and Uncle Alphard had given me for my birthday. I looked back at the mirror. What the heck, I thought, I may as well buy it; Andromeda _did _say to buy something by the time I caught up with her again. And what better thing to buy then these nifty little pair of mirrors?

"I'm buying them," I announced to James, whom was looking lovingly at the mirror in his hand.

"Really?" James asked excitedly, "this is going to be so cool Sirius! Imagine all the things we can do now with this! We can talk to each other anywhere we want! We can leave them somewhere and spy on people-" James said happily.

"What's this I hear about spying?" Remus had just made his way over to us, followed closely by Peter.

"What are you buying?" Peter asked.

"These mirrors," I replied, holding up the mirror in my hand.

"What the heck for Sirius?" Peter asked, clearly not knowing the use of the mirrors.

"To stare at my gorgeous reflection all day, dolt," I laughed.

"Thought so," Peter said.

"How thick are you Peter? Do you think I'd buy a mirror if only to stare at myself all day-,"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Remus said raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up Remus. These-" I waved the mirror in front of Peter's face, "-are for talking to whoever's got the other mirror, i.e James, any time any place," I said.

"Oh cool!" Peter said.

"Well are you going to buy it or just stand here all day?" James asked.

"Yeah," I said, and then I made my way over to the counter to buy the pair of mirrors.

When I had bought the mirrors I joined James, Remus and Peter outside the shop. We then had a look around some other shops and I bought my school supplies. I used my father's money to buy a couple of new robes for myself and I topped up my other supplies. After a couple of hours had passed James, Peter, Remus and I made our way to Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour. Sitting outside in the balmy sunlight under an umbrella was Andromeda and a person that I had never seen before. It was a man, he was chatting happily to Andromeda and she was smiling back at him. He was dressed in black leather and wore a t-shirt with the name 'Led Zeppelin' on the front of it, his hair grew to his shoulders. I wondered vaguely who or what Led Zeppelin was.

The man certainly was different, but he actually looked cool. When we got closer I recognized his face but couldn't place a name to it.

Andromeda looked away from the man and when she that we were approaching she smiled and waved at me.

"Who's that? She's hot," James grinned.

I hit him, "that is Andromeda, my cousin, who is also way out of your league Pothead," I said jokingly.

"Ouch,"

We made our way over to Andromeda and the man and found a table next to them. I introduced her to my friends and she introduced me to the man whom she was talking to. His name was Ted Tonks and he used to be a year above Andromeda at Hogwarts. I remembered back to what Jared had told me, Ted Tonks had been her boyfriend at Hogwarts. I had forgotten all about him.

"So how's good old Hogwarts going?" Ted asked us as he chewed on bright green bubble gum.

"It's alright," I replied. What else could I say? Who asked how school was anyway? Well, yes parents do, or at least normal parents do, but not mine, since they wouldn't care how school was going anyway. But still, what did people expect us to say when they ask us that question, 'oh, it's going fine and dandy,' or 'oh, apart from the fact that I get detentions every two days and get into trouble in class it's good, yes, apart from that its great.'

"Is Peeves still hanging around?" Ted asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Sirius and his friends have made themselves a reputation as troublemakers," Andromeda said to Ted. She made it sound like she was talking about a bunch of five year olds that she thought was cute. How embarrassing.

"Really?" Ted raised an eyebrow and grinned crookedly at us, "nice going."

"Well it was our duty," I grinned back. I had a distinct feeling that this man had been responsible for a little bit of trouble himself when he was at school.

Ted laughed; a loud, raucous laugh. "Well, someone's got to do the job, now that I'm gone!"

Andromeda shook her head at him, a smile on her lips, "Don't encourage them."

"Well its true isn't it? Someone has to uphold the tradition," Ted replied with a grin, then he gave Andromeda a quick kiss on the lips and stood up, "well I've got to be going, I'll hopefully see you soon," he winked at her, and with a 'see ya later boys' he turned and disappeared down the crowded street.

"Well, I've got to get going as well," Remus said as he stood up from the table and then said goodbye. After a while Peter left as well, leaving only James, Andromeda and myself at the table.

"I better go too, got to meet my parents, I'll see you on the train then Sirius, nice meeting you Andromeda," James said, grinning at me, "bye," James moved off and joined the crowded street.

"So I'm guessing that Ted's your boyfriend?" I asked when everyone had gone.

"Yes," Andromeda curled a lock of hair around her finger, "but you mustn't tell any of the family, okay," she said.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"Because he's a muggle born, and my folks will have a right fit if they find out," Andromeda said.

"I wouldn't tell them anything anyway, do Bellatrix and Narcissa know?" I asked.

"Narcissa does, only because she read a letter from him, but she promised not to tell anyone, and I'd never tell Bella. She'd go ballistic if she found out that I wasn't dating a pure-blood," Andromeda said.

"They're all the same," I said.

"Who?"

"Our family, all they care about is being pure-blood, it's like they think they're royal or something," I sighed.

"I know, but there's some things Sirius, you'll find, run deeper than blood…" a strange expression came into Andromeda's eyes and she looked deep in thought.

"Like what?" I asked.

She did not answer.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **And so the countdown begins! Two more chapters to go! (You all _know_ what I'm talking about!). Dun dun dunnnnnnn. Thank you all very much for your awesome reviews & support for the end of the first year, I really do appreciate them (no matter how many times you hear this, it's still true), so for now, keep reviewing and I'll keep updating (hopefully!) 

**brennQT:**Yes, summer chapters! Heh. That's this, but this is the only summer chapters. Glad you liked what happened to the Slytherins, they should have considered who they were dealing with before pushing them into the lake!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Well the second year holds lotsa erm… stuff, such as the big uncovering of the secret! Ooooh. Glad you liked the prank! Thanks for the tip on writer's block, it sounds like it would work, not that I have writers block though (better not jinx myself!) I've been writing, just not MWPP. Oh poor MWPP. Thanks also for the other tip, I just posted it and I realised that some sentences read wrong (i.e the one where it said 'James said' when James was writing the story! Heh. I guess I'm _too _comfy with writing from Sirius' POV!)

**Anarane:Thanks**! No his parents aren't very pleasant. You got your answer already (about summer chaps etc). Glad you liked it!

**koriaena:**Thanks very much! Glad you like it.

**Miss Penny: **Thanks! Yes, I like James' and Sirius' POV as well, well Sirius' mainly plus Remus'. Anyway.

**LupinLover99: **Well thanks very very much! Yes, I will be (trying) to do all seven years, if I can get to third year successfully! Haha.

**Elvenwolf123321: **Thanks! Well you got an answer too (as to Regulus), hope you liked it! Heh. Thanks for forcing your friends to read the story! We will convert them all before the seventh year! Muhahahahah! Being a zombie at school is always okay… if you don't have to do much.

**Belle granger: **Yay a new reviewer! Yes I will continue with the story given I keep getting reviews! Haha. Really glad you're liking it.

**Goldilocks31890: **Thanks very much! I understand, email is a pain in the arse at the best of times! Hah. Glad you're still reviewing!

**French Chipmunk: **Thanks! Glad you like it, and it's better than school! Whee! (Although, a _lot _of things are better than school when you think about it…)

**Pickledishkiller:Yay**! Heh.

**Janet Lily: **Thanks very much for all your comments they really are appreciated! Yes, perhaps Sirius was a bit evil, but I suppose Snape provoked him in the first place by being nasty, so Sirius be'd (not a word, I know!) nasty back. Its karma see. Heh. Yes the four of them sure did take a photo together, I thought it would be a good turning point for them, and naturally they had to have a photo together! Thanks again, I'm really glad you like and that its different to other fanfics. I really like hearing that!

**Britonveggie:Yay**! Another new reviewer! Thanks very much for your awesomeness! Yay for you!

**Thehpgang**Thanks very much! I try not to rush things, but then, everyone's telling me to hurry up and get to Remus' secret, so its kinda hard! But I have the chapters set out and I'ma stickin to them! Glad you like the endings, I always have to have conclusive and/or sweet endings! Glad you like Professor Bones & don't think he's scary! He's a cool man.

**xMissxUnderstoodx**Wow, thanks very much! Another new reviewer! Yay. I'm glad you like it and thanks again!

**LupinLover88: **(Hmm this could get confusing, 2 LupinLover's! Ah well, its cool).Thanks very very very much for reviewing a whole lot! I really do appreciate the time you take to review and read so much! As to the whole 'Remus Rants' business, in the beginning when I started writing I originally had James' story, Peter's story etc, cause I couldn't think of another word for them, but now its James' Jabbers, Peter's Prattle, Remus' Rants and Sirius' Story! Neat, huh? Heh. Glad you liked the staff chapter, that was so much fun to write, and the quotes! I had a fair bit of trouble trying to characterise the potions teacher! Yes, he is evil, but he's only evil to Remus & Sirius, you'll notice, and not to James & Peter, so its not so much a prejudice towards Gryffindors, just to Sirius because he won't conform and to Remus cause he's a werewolf. As to what Philomena was saying to Remus, she was just showing him the moon in a different light, because he's hated it ever since he had been bitten (and with good reason!) but Philomena wants to show him there's a different side to it, she wants to sort of 'take away' some of the bitterness Remus feels. Wow, you actually felt you were there feeling the transformation – that's cool, well, not 'cool', but I'm glad I can do that. Yes the Quote of the Day was definitely Savage Garden's Crash & Burn, glad you picked up on that, I think I might've said it was by them, but no matter, Savage Garden are awesome. As to my Harry Potter obsession, I don't think I'm completely obsessed with HP! I do have a life outside of it actually, I haven't actually been doing HP related things for quite a while. I haven't read much fanfiction lately. It's sad! Wah! Yes, I think Neville is a lot like Peter also, its quite strange that their personality and even appearance we picture to be similar. Heh, wow, I made you actually believe that whole prank? That's cool too, well you know what I mean! (I hope!) Yeah Sirius can be gross, but he just ate from the table cause he was hungry – I mean, you can't deny the man his food! Heh. Plus it annoyed someone, and that's always a bonus for him. Everyone thinks Remus has more sense than the other three because well… he acts like he does. Well he doesn't go crazy and is smart (as is the other three) but he's quiter than Sirius and James and he doesn't prank and be mischievous all the time so they assume he's got more common sense, well he doesn't be silly all the time (not that they all do) now I'm just contradicting myself so I'll shut up. No it wasn't too late to give your opinion on the separating year thingy. Professor Bones freaks you out? Professor Bones is cool, he's not meant to freak you out. Oh well. Heh. Thanks so much again for reviewing!

**Beansie**Glad to hear you're alive and well and haven't passed to the other side! Yay! Uh, online flash movie? Huh? I don't quite get you, I mean; I know what an online flash movie is but what exactly about them? Thanks very much for reviewing, glad you liked the year!

**Erica: **Wow, it made you feel as if Sirius was standing right next to you? That's really great (I wish he were standing next to me! Heh), no seriously, I think that's cool. Yes the truth is coming verrry soooon. Ooooooohhh! Heh, the whole if Remus was a girl issue, yes that would terribly suck, beyond complete suckiness I think, I mean its bad enough with the whole monthly girl thing, but imagine going through transformations _as well_! Although I think that after going through a transformation he'd think period cramps were a walk in the park. Okay, this is getting extremely strange… Heh.

**Christina: **"Run on sentences". Hahaha. Yes I'm aware of the run on sentences, I started writing this fic quite a while ago and it has been betaed so keep that in mind. I'm still learning as well.

**Tidal Waves: **Thank you very very much! I'm really glad you reviewed and let me know! Thanks.


	28. Back at Hogwarts: Second Year

**Year 1972, Beginning of 2nd Year:**

**Peter's Prattle:**

**Reminder to Sirius: **Sirius is the brightest star in the sky _only second_ to the sun! _As Remus so fervently reminds you – (that last part was written by Remus)…_

The day that we were due to board the Hogwarts Express for our second year came quickly and I was quite ready to get back on it, although I would also miss my home and family.

"Well, make sure you write," my mother said after she hugged me.

We were standing on platform 9 ¾ saying our goodbyes.

"I will," I said as I gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye Gabbi," I said to my new sister and kissed her on the cheek before handing her back to my mother.

"Have fun Pete," my father said, hugging me quickly.

"And try not to get into any trouble," my mother added as she straightened my collar.

"Yes mum," I replied with a grin.

With a final goodbye to my parents I boarded the train and begun to look for the compartment that Sirius, James and Peter were in.

I slid open a compartment door, thinking that it might be my friends, but it was a group of Slytherins.

"What do _you_ want rat?" Snape sneered at me.

"N-nothing, I was looking for my friends," I said.

"Friends? Is _that_ what you call friends?" Rabastan Lestrange, a fifth year said, "Those bunch of louts that don't even care about you Pettigrew?" he said, a malicious glint in his eye.

"They care about me!" I said. I didn't want to spend another minute in here.

"No they don't. They pretend to, but they don't," Sirius' cousin, Bellatrix, (who was now in her fourth year) said, "Sirius told me he doesn't even like you," she sneered.

"Sirius wouldn't say that!"

"Oh wouldn't he?" Narcissa hissed.

"No, he wouldn't!" I replied, though a small seed of doubt was planted in my stomach at that moment.

"And where are your little friends now, Pettigrew? They're not saving you now, _are_ they?" Snape said.

"They're probably looking for me now!" I replied.

"Peter?" I heard a voice behind me and turned around to see James standing there.

"What are you doing?" he asked, eyeing the Slytherins.

"I was – I was looking for you, and I thought you might be in here, but you weren't," I said.

"We're at the end of the train," James replied, looking at the Slytherins with contempt.

"See, he didn't even tell you where they were," Bellatrix said.

"Bite me Bellatrix," James said as Sirius came up behind him.

"No thanks, I don't particularly want your filthy disease," Bellatrix replied haughtily.

"Come on, let's go," James said, turning around.

"Yeah, get lost you filthy brats," Rabastan Lestrange snarled.

"Gladly, you _rotten prats_," Sirius said with a smirk and then slid their compartment door shut with a bang.

"I was kind of hoping not to see them first thing," James said as we walked to the end of the train.

Sirius snorted, "I've had to put up with Bellatrix and Narcissa for the past two weeks so consider yourself lucky," he said as we entered the compartment. I took a seat next to Remus who was hanging out the window and talking to his parents. He greeted me with a grin.

As James and Sirius sat down there was a loud whistle and steam started billowing from the train as it started to move. I went to the window and waved to my parents as the train caught speed.

Then we rounded a bend and the platform and my family was out of sight.

"What were those Slytherins saying to you?" James asked, as Remus sat down next to me.

"They were… just being stupid, it was nothing," I said. I didn't particularly want to tell any of them what the Slytherins had said. That my friends didn't care about me. That Sirius had told Bellatrix that he didn't like me. It couldn't be true, I thought as I looked at James and Sirius, who were both staring me.

_Or could it_? A voice questioned in my head.

"If you say so," James replied, and then he pulled out his exploding snap deck.

Sirius however, kept on watching me as if he didn't believe me. It was almost as if he was looking through me.

"What did they say to you Peter?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius, let it go," Remus warned, "I'm sure it was just what they normally say. Insults, that kind of stuff. What the Slytherins are best known for. Right, Peter?" Remus looked at me.

"Yeah, just insults," I said, avoiding his gaze.

Sirius gave me one last look and then joined James in a game of snap.

The rest of the journey to Hogwarts went by uneventfully, we talked, played snap, ate a lot of food from the trolley, and told stories about what we did all summer.

"You know," Sirius sat chewing on a chocolate frog, "You'd be surprised at how many pranks you can do without magic," Sirius said as he related the story of how he had put a nest of doxies in his cousins' beds.

"You should have seen their faces!" Sirius laughed after he had told us the story.

James chortled, "That is a good one!"

"Isn't it!" Sirius replied.

For the rest of the journey we listened to how Sirius pranked his cousins over the summer, and we were still listening as the train slowed down and stopped.

"Well, we're here!" Sirius said excitedly.

"I'm glad we're in second year this year," Remus said as he stood up.

"Why?" I asked.

"So we don't have to take another boat ride across that dratted lake," Remus replied.

I remembered that boat ride quite well. It was when I first met Sirius, Remus and James. It was a very windy and wet night and more than half the first years ended up in the lake. I had helped pull Remus, James and Sirius out of the lake, and that was when we first became friends.

"Oh but the boat ride was fun!" Sirius said.

"Fun for _you_ maybe," Remus replied.

"Well it looks like they've got it easier this year," James said as we stepped off the train and into the dark night. It was only lightly raining and not windy at all, very different to the weather last year.

"Pity," Sirius snorted, "I would've liked to see them all drowned out like rats," he chuckled.

Remus shook his head at Sirius.

After we greeted Hagrid we followed the rest of the students along a rough mud track to where about a hundred stagecoaches waited to take us to the school. They were pulled by something invisible. James, Sirius, Remus and I climbed into one of the awaiting coaches and it set off.

"I wonder what pulls these things," Sirius said as he settled in his seat.

"Something invisible." James pointed out.

"_Really_? I thought they were pulled by pink horses," Sirius replied.

"Well aren't you silly?" James replied.

"Yes, silly me, I should have realised," Sirius said.

After a while the coach pulled to a halt and we scrambled out to join the mass of students fighting their way to the large oak entrance doors. We were pushed into the Great Hall and we all sat down at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the Sorting to begin.

My stomach soon began to rumble, I was pretty hungry, as lollies don't fill you up unless you eat a lot of them.

"I wish they'd hurry up," I said to James, Remus and Sirius, "I'm starving."

"Yeah me too," Sirius agreed, rubbing his stomach.

"You two are always hungry, it wouldn't matter if you'd just finished a whole boar, you'd still be hungry," James chuckled.

But before either of us could retort a loud tremor suddenly shook the hall and everyone- including me, jumped about twenty feet into the air in shock. The tremor, it seemed, had come from the direction of the small room off the hall where first years gathered before the Sorting. I could hear screaming coming from inside the little room.

"What the heck was that?" Remus asked aloud after getting over his initial shock. Many people were wondering the same thing as they looked cautiously at the little room off the hall. People were still screaming from inside it.

Instantly, Sirius' eyes went wide, "I know exactly what it was!" he said with a look of glee.

But before he could explain any further the small door to the side of the hall flung open with a BANG! and about forty first years came pouring out of it screaming in distress and wide-eyed with horror and shock. McGonagall came running out after them. Hurtling after her came a fluorescent pink Catherine wheel which was yelling 'wheeeeeeeeeeeeee' as it hurtled across the first year's heads and around the hall. All the students jumped up and screamed as the Catherine wheel zoomed towards them. We must have left a firework in the hall last year when we did a prank for Sirius' birthday last year!

Sirius and James were both laughing their heads off as people screamed. Dumbledore quickly whipped out his wand and aimed it at the firework; it exploded into a shower of sparks and another loud bang, which made more people scream.

"I can't believe it! We must have left a firework in there last year!" James said, laughing.

Even Remus was smiling despite himself. "Those poor first years," he said.

"Well this is a whole lot more amusing then them falling in the lake!" Sirius chuckled as he looked at the distressed first years.

"Quiet please!" Dumbledore said loudly and instantly the students stopped screaming.

McGonagall looked furious.

And she was looking right in our direction.

Obviously she had worked it out that it was us who had left the fireworks there. Either that or she thought we had put them there on purpose. How we could have managed that in such a short time I don't know.

"Well, _that_ was quite an entrance," Dumbledore commented looking at the frazzled first years. Some of them had tinged eyebrows. Which _was _funny, if you think about it. I was just glad I wasn't in their shoes.

"Either way, we'll get on with it. First years, please line up now," Dumbledore instructed and McGonagall led the horrified first years to the top of the hall. By now the students had settled down. Some of them were even laughing at the whole event. Including Sirius, James and I.

I looked along the staff table, Professor Crevan, the Potions teacher, seemed to be missing; James, Sirius and Remus had noticed it as well.

"Where's Crevan?" James whispered as McGonagall put a stool on the ground before the first years and placed the Sorting Hat on it and before any of us could answer the hat began to sing its song. When it had finished the Great Hall rang with applause and then McGonagall was unrolling a large scroll of parchment as she told the first years what to do when their name was called. Combined with their initial nervousness and the shock and distress of setting off a blazing Catherine wheel the first years seemed to be visibly shaking.

They even seemed more nervous than I had been when I was sorted last year, and _that _was saying something.

"Aldren, Martha!" McGonagall read and a small brown haired girl who was shivering from head to toe went up and sat on the stool, the hat was placed on her head. The hat sat for a while, and then,

"Ravenclaw!" The hat shouted as Martha Aldren ran to the Ravenclaw table where they applauded her.

"Banister, Joe!"

"Hufflepuff!" The hat shouted and Joe Banister went to join the applauding Hufflepuffs. I looked over at the Hufflepuff table where I spotted Alinda Hazel who was applauding along with her friends; I caught her eye and smiled shyly. She smiled back.

"Collins, Jane!"

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouted and I applauded along with the rest of the Gryffindors.

The Sorting continued as the terrified first years were sorted into the different houses.

Finally, after the last first year was sorted into Slytherin, the feast began.

It was a usual grand Hogwarts style feast with plates and plates of food, including potatoes, roast chicken, beef, pork and everything else you could think of. It also had delicious desserts and puddings.

As soon as the feast had finished and Dumbledore had made some announcements McGonagall came marching up to us, an angry look on her face.

"You four come with me at once!" she said. We had no choice but to follow her out of the hall and into her office.

"I am _appalled_ at your behaviour!" she said as soon as she had closed her office door, "Leaving fireworks in the hall on purpose just before the feast!"

"Er- Professor McGonagall… we _didn't _leave them there…" Sirius said, "…on purpose," he added.

"Don't lie to me Mr. Black! I've had quite enough for one night!"

"No! It's the truth," Remus said, "we were in just as much shock as you when that firework went off."

McGonagall eyed him, "So you're saying you had nothing to do with that firework?"

"Well… not _entirely_," James said, "…see…we must have accidentally left it there last year…" he said slowly.

"I _knew_ it!"

"But we didn't mean for it to happen! We didn't mean to forget it!" I said.

McGonagall rounded on me, I grimaced, "I don't care if you meant it or not, it happened nevertheless and I hold you four responsible whether it was left there on purpose or not," she said.

"But we didn't mean it!" Sirius retorted.

"You'll have detention tomorrow evening, 7 o'clock with Mr. Filch," McGonagall said loudly, ignoring Sirius, "Don't be late," she said and then opened her door to lead us out.

And so we received our first detentions for the year without even meaning to and without even planning anything.

Later that night as I lay in my warm bed after the wonderful feast, I thought about what happened at the feast and then the prank we played for Sirius' birthday. I thought about our first year at Hogwarts.

And what the second one would bring…

* * *

The next morning in Transfiguration McGonagall was still acting frostily towards us, as if it had been our entire fault that we had scared the wits out of the first years. Well, okay, so we _did _accidentally leave a firework behind, but was that our fault? No, it was an accident, especially since we weren't the ones who actually let it off in the first place.

When the bell went for the end of class we were very relieved to escape the clutches and cold stares of McGonagall.

"Well I'm glad _that's _over," Sirius said once we were well away from the Transfiguration classroom, "see the looks she was throwing us- like it was _our_ fault!" Sirius said, trudging along.

"Yeah, I know," James replied.

"So what's now?" Sirius asked.

"Um, Potions, I think," Remus said.

Sirius groaned, "Argh. It's too early for McGonagall _and _Crevan in a row!" he complained, "I only just managed to avoid him at Grimmauld Place!"

Sirius complained about Crevan the whole way down to the dungeons.

When we entered the Potions dungeon however, Crevan wasn't standing in his usual spot at the front of the room.

Instead there was a strange man leaning on the desk stiffly, his arms crossed whilst he surveyed the class as we entered with a disdainful stare. I looked at the man at the front of the room. He had shoulder length wavy blonde hair, he looked to be around his mid thirties, and he sat tall and proud, with a haughty look on his face. He wore elegant robes of deep red and looked quite handsome despite his arrogant exterior. Well, the girls thought so anyway, as they giggled and started whispering as soon as they took their seats.

"He's cute!" A Slytherin girl, Lavida Veck whispered loudly to a couple of giggling Slytherin girls.

"Who the hell is _that_?" Sirius said, looking at the man curiously. He was very happy that Crevan wasn't here. So, it seemed, was Remus.

"Be quiet!" the man snapped suddenly as the class grew louder. The class silenced.

"I am Professor Slade-" '_Slade'_… that name sounded vaguely familiar for some reason… "-and I will be taking your classes for the next couple of weeks," he informed us, gazing around at the class with a look of disdain. I could tell instantly that I wasn't going to like this man.

"Where's Professor Crevan?" James asked.

"You will put your hand up to ask a question!" he barked.

James rolled his eyes and put his hand up.

"You," Professor Slade pointed at James, "What's your name?" he asked tersely.

"James Potter," James replied.

"Well Mr. Potter, where I come from people have etiquette," he said, "you will address me as Sir!"

"Yes Sir," James said, "Sir, where is Professor Crevan, Sir?" James replied smartly.

"I don't like you already Mr. Potter," Slade answered. James let out a sound of indignation as Slade continued, "The whereabouts of Professor Crevan is none of your business Mr. Potter, so keep your nose out of things that don't concern you," he finished.

James glared at him but didn't say anything.

"When's he coming back?" Sirius asked, probably hoping that Slade would reply 'never'.

"What's your name?" Slade regarded Sirius through slanted eyes.

"Sirius Black Sir," Sirius replied.

"It appears that the whole lot of you are insolent brats!-" there was a gasp of indignation from the class "-Mr. Black - you will address me with Sir at all times!" he said, "and it is none of your concern when Professor Crevan comes back so keep your nose out of it as I've already told Mr. Potter." he finished. Sirius then glared at him, irritated that he seemed to be just as bad – if not worse – than Crevan.

"Now," he looked around at the rest of the class, "the instructions for the potion you will be brewing today are on the blackboard. Get to work!" he snarled and the class jumped to work.

"What a git!" James muttered fiercely as Professor Slade worked around the room, inspecting what people were doing, "I wish Crevan was back!" he said, shredding his root of asphodel.

"I'd rather not have _any _of them teach us," Sirius replied.

"At least Crevan doesn't bark at us all the time like that prat does," James pointed out.

"He may not bark at you, but he lectures _me_ every five minutes," Sirius replied.

"I wonder where Crevan is though," Remus said, sliding his ingredients into his cauldron.

"Maybe he's sick," I suggested.

Sirius snorted, "I seen him only a couple of weeks ago and he seemed fine to me," he replied, "unfortunately," he added.

"He's probably having an extended holiday," James said.

"I hope he stays there," Sirius replied bitterly.

"I'd much rather have Crevan than this prat," James said.

"You four!" Professor Slade had noticed us talking and had come walking over to us, "Separate! I will not tolerate constant chatting in my class!" he said, then addressed James, "You! Over there!" he pointed to the table where Snape sat. James glowered and picked up his cauldron violently and sat down at Snape's table, who glared at him. "You!" Crevan pointed at Sirius, "Over there!" he moved his hand to where two Slytherins- Biddick and Mayson- sat and Sirius moved over to their table, slamming his cauldron down with a bang, "You!" he then pointed to Remus, "Over there!" he pointed to the table where a bunch of Slytherin girls sat, chattering. They all looked coldly at Remus as he sat down at their table. "You stay here." he said, looking at me in contempt.

I hadn't even done or said anything to him yet and he was being nasty to me! I started to wish that Crevan was back already so that Slade would get lost. I dreaded the rest of the time that he would be teaching us; I hoped it would not be too long.

The rest of the lesson went by uneventfully; Slade treated the whole class with contempt and barked if someone so much as whispered. I don't know how he had managed to secure a job as a teacher as he seemed to loathe kids.

Finally when the bell rang everyone practically ran for the door, trying to get away from Slade as quickly as possibly after he had criticized almost everyone's potions, telling the whole class that our potion making skills were sloppy. He even told Lily Evans, whose potion had been perfect, that it was the 'wrong consistency', when everyone knew that it was a perfect consistency.

"What an insufferable prat!" James said as we walked along the dungeon corridors, "I can't believe him! He practically called the whole class stupid! _And_ he made me sit with bloody Snivellus! The prat!" he said angrily.

And it was not just James complaining, no, all the Gryffindors – even Lily – were objecting to Slade. Even some of the Slytherins were angry at him. Which was amazing as usually the Slytherins all loved the Potions teachers as they were their Head of House and usually favoured the Slytherins. Slade however, did not favour anyone it seemed.

"I'd have rather sat with Snape than those stupid stuck up Slytherin girls," Remus replied.

"Be my guest," James said as we entered the Entrance Hall.

"I wonder where Crevan is though," I wondered aloud as we made our way into the Great Hall for lunch and sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Who gives a toss?" Sirius said as he bit into a chicken drumstick.

"Well I'd rather Crevan than Slade any day," James said.

"Hmm," Sirius said, "getting lectured on pureblood mania or being barked at by Slade," Sirius held out both his palms as if weighing them against one another, "Lectured or barked," he said, "Such a _hard_ decision…" he laughed and bit into his drumstick again.

"Well _I'd_ rather Crevan," I said, agreeing with James. At least Crevan didn't separate us.

"Crevan – Slade," Sirius said, "what's the difference? They're both slimy gits," he said.

"They sure are." Remus agreed as he cut up his potato and chewed it.

* * *

"Where's my star chart?" Sirius asked as he rummaged through his trunk for his star chart.

It was about fifteen minutes to midnight and it was time for our Astronomy lesson. Sirius loosing his star chart was a frequent occurrence so we were used to it by now, in fact, Sirius had lost his star chart before his very first Astronomy lesson in first year and he had to borrow James'.

Which was also a frequent occurrence.

Remus groaned, "You _always_ loose that bloody thing!" he said, gathering his Astronomy gear together, "If you loose it one more time I swear I'll stick it permanently to your forehead," he threatened.

"Found it!" Sirius grinned, ignoring Remus and pulling his star chart out from under his bed, "How it got there I have no idea, I haven't even used it yet," he said, "one of you are probably hiding it from me on purpose."

"You probably left it there last year." James snorted.

Sirius rolled his eyes at him.

"Let's go then." Remus said and opened the door. We followed after him and made our way through the common room and out the portrait hole.

We walked all the way up to the Astronomy tower without talking and settled ourselves on the usual beanbags that Professor Philomena laid out for us every Astronomy lesson.

"Good to see you all again," Professor Philomena said once the class had settled down into their beanbags. That's a first, I thought, a teacher actually being _pleased_ to see us after the summer break.

"This year we'll be studying the stars and constellations of the heavens more closely," Professor Philomena said, "Tonight we'll be observing the constellation of Canis Major," she said and then went on to describe the features of Canis Major.

"So, where do you think this Slade comes from?" Sirius whispered, as Philomena continued talking.

"I don't know," James replied.

"I bet you a hundred Galleons that he's a dark wizard, he looks exactly like the type even if he is a pretty boy, stupid git, and he isn't even that old either…" Sirius rambled on about Slade.

"Mr. Black," Professor Philomena had stopped talking about Canis Major and her eyes landed on Sirius, "kindly tell us one feature of Canis Major," she said, raising her eyebrow at Sirius.

"Er- it's in the sky?" Sirius said. The class laughed.

"Yes Mr. Black, it is indeed in the sky," Professor Philomena said, "And – if you had been listening - you'd be interested to note that it also contains the brightest star in the sky which incidentally is called Sirius-"

"You're _joking_!" Sirius said.

"No, I am not joking, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky at night," Philomena said.

Sirius jumped up from his beanbag excitedly, "_Wow_! Hear that James? Remus? Pete? Sirius is the _brightest_ star in the sky! That's _so_ awesome! I knew I was named after a star but I didn't know it was the brightest!" Sirius said, "Sirius is the brightest star in the sky! Look! There! There it is!" Sirius pointed to a particularly bright star in the sky.

"Mr. Black, kindly sit down," Professor Philomena said watching in amusement as Sirius danced around, excited at this newfound piece of information.

I knew we'd never hear the end of it.

Sirius sat down, but kept on talking about the star Sirius.

"Sirius is the brightest star in the sky!" Sirius repeated later that lesson for the umpteenth time. "The _brightest_! Sirius is the _brightest_! Hear that? The brightest! Brighter than Regulus! Brighter than _all_ stars! I'm so glad the star Sirius has the same name as me!" he said gleefully.

Remus rolled his eyes and looked up from his star chart, "Sirius, I'm sure you were named _after_ the star and not the other way around unless you're a billion years old – in which case congratulations on hiding it so well -" James and I sniggered, "and Sirius is only the brightest star in the sky _after _the sun." Remus said matter-of-factly.

Sirius scratched his chin as he considered this for a moment, then he started trilling again "I'm the brightest star in the sk-yyyy!" with a broad grin.

Remus groaned and picked up his star chart again as Sirius chanted 'Sirius is the brightest star in the skyyyy! Sirius is the brightest star in the skyyyy!' and James hit him over the head with his star chart and I laughed.

Nope, I knew – just like we'd never hear the end of how he had beat James in a bet that he could make Lily laugh in first year - that we'd definitely never hear the end of this one no matter how many times Remus reminded him that it was the brightest star only after the sun.

No, we wouldn't hear the end of this, not for a _long_ long time.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Sirius is the brightest star in the sk-yyyyy! Heh. Gotta love 'im! Anyway. 20 more reviews to go and it'll be 500! Wow. I never thought I'd even get that far. Once again thank you all for your continued support and reviews, they make my day and I appreciate them very much! Mwa! And you know the drill; whoever hits 500 gets a special treat. I think. Anyway, I'll contact whoever hits the 500 mark when it happens.

**Siriusroks73: **Thanks very very much! I'm glad you loved the chap and thank you for taking the time to read it all!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Heh. Well getting more hooked is a good thing, isn't it! I'm glad you like the layout, I like it too, I like the quotes of the day especially. Anyway, thanks again!

**Kilikapele**Thanks very much for reviewing:D Yes they sure will find out Remus is a werewolf this year, I couldn't miss it!

**Padfoot's**** Mate: **Heh. Thanks so much! Ted only rocks because of your input! So thanks heaps and heaps again for your Ted!

**xMissxUnderstoodx**Thanks very much! Glad you loved it! Yes, poor Sirius, though he will have his better days, thankfully!

**brennQT**Heh! Yes, I kind of agree with you, Sirius chapters in abundance would be perfect, I love Sirius chapters! Heh. Glad you liked the Sirius/Andromeda bonding time, its good that he can at least relate to one of his relatives. Heh, glad you liked James' hot comment! I can always imagine those two saying things like that about each others hot relatives, heh. Gotta love em. Anyway, thank you again for all your reviews!

**Thehpgang**Thanks very much! YAY! Someone is glad the story's going at a slow pace, thank you so much for that comment! Er, I'm not quite sure how old Andromeda is in that chapter, I'm too lazy to do the math, but yes, both she and Ted have finished Hogwarts. Yes, it was two more chapters until Remus' secret, you were absolutely right! Thanks so much again!

**Raye**** Caouette: **Thanks very much! Glad you like Sirius chapters:D

**Vaguely amused: **(Love the name!) Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like it, you don't need to say anymore, that was enough to make my day anyway! Yes, more Remus coming soon!

**Miss Penny: **Thank you very much! I think Remus' POV is a balance to James' and Sirius' in a way, I mean, it cant all be fun and games all the time. Oh well, but Remus is funny as well, sometimes. I don't know. Anyway, thanks!

**LupinLover99: **Thanks very much for your reassurance! Glad you like the story! Yay!

**Beansie**Yes, I don't think it would be too pleasant being hit by your mother, especially if she was as strong as Sirius' mother. Wow! Your reaction to my updating, that is so _awesome_! Well, now you can hyperventilate cause I _am _on year two! Yes, I guess you can call him Remmy, though I prefer just Rem now, I don't know why exactly. Anyway, you are awesome, thank you!

**Anarane**Thank you very much! I'm glad you mentioned Ted & Andromeda and I'm glad you liked to see them here. Thanks again!

**Flyingphilosopher**Wow! Yes, wow does work better, so I'm saying 'wow!' to your review! You truly made my day with your awesome review! Thank you so so much for your awesome (I've been told to use that word only when it applies cause I use it too much, so I am! Heh)words. They sound as if it could be on a blurb, wow, just amazing. I salute you! I'm so glad you like the way I've characterized them all. I don't really know what else to say, just _Thank you SO much_! You are awesome!

**RemusLily**Thanks very much! I'm glad you liked that line!

**French Chipmunk: **Thanks very much! I'm glad you like Sirius' backstory and you like the story. Thanks! Although I could think of a couple of things worse than school ;) !

**Unforgettable: **Thanks so much! Yay, another new reviewer! 3 days! Wow, that's a fair while eh? And I only just started second year. Oh well. Well yes, I am writing until the end of 7th year, hopefully. Thanks again!

**Visualpurple**Thanks very much! Heh, poor Sirius, getting scolded, I don't think he can help swearing! Remus just likes to scold him and Sirius likes to provoke Remus! Heh. It is the beauty of their friendship. I'm glad you liked Andromeda & Ted, and the Led Zeppelin t-shirt! Thanks again!

**Elvenwolf123321: **Thanks very much! Well, it doesn't matter if they don't read it, but thanks for talking about it! Wow, thanks for the comment about J.K's book, but I'll never be better than the mighty J.K herself. But thanks SO SO much for the comment! You are awesome! I'm glad you liked Ted, it was all thanks to my beta that he turned out the way he did so I'm glad you like him! Thanks so much again!

**Wolfie**Thanks so much for your awesome review! 2 chaps left, means two chaps until Remus' secret revealed. Of course I wouldn't end it, heheh! Thanks again!

**JanetLily**Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked the Sirius-James thing, yes I think Sirius would compare his own family to James', I mean, a lot of people do it when they're feeling particularly rotten about their own family. Glad you commented on the two way mirror, well there is a bit more of it, but actually not that much in second year, unless I add a bit more on it. I don't know. Yes, theres something fishy about Remus and they're beginning to notice! About time! Heh. Thanks again!

**Naru**** Lovely: **You're very welcome, it took ages to write all that I wanted to, but I'm glad you appreciated it! As to the birthday question, well so far its only a Sirius thing, I mean, there might be other instances of the other's birthdays, but so far it's a Sirius tradition, I don't know why really. No, its not his official birthday, I made it up. But I'll tell you something very strange and awesome and very true about someone's birthday. J.K updated on her site that Remus' birthday was on March the 10th and you know, I'd written all of their birthdays down somewhere a fair while ago and so I went back to check what I'd written after reading Remus' real b'day, and for Remus' birthday I'd written March the 10th! I still cant believe it, is that psychic or what!

Glad you liked the Sirius & James convincing Remus to go outside & then Remus not wanting to go back inside. Yay!

Itching powder: I don't know where he got the itching powder from. You know Sirius, always having pranking items handy for emergency situations!

I'm glad you think the story is believable, and you can see it actually happening, and you like the pranks. I find it very hard to come up with pranks as well.

The DADA exam: well as to who supervised the test, I think its any teacher who's not got a class at that time would be supervising, Flitwick probably didn't have a class so he was free to supervise whereas Bones would have been busy, at least that's how they did it at my school, but maybe sometimes Bones would poke his head in to see how they were all going.

Sirius' summer: Yes, unfortunately parents' treatment of their children isn't always fictional, I don't get why some parents are so mean to their children. But at least its stopped for your friends and Sirius has now escaped Grimmauld place.

Sirius' view on the Potter's: Yes, I get what you're trying to say very much. I think at one point everyone views other families enviously if theyre going through a bad time with their own. Sirius will see one day that all families have their problems and aren't all happy as larry as he thinks.

Andromeda & Ted: Yep, -grins-, the other plot is kicking in. Glad you liked the cameo. Yep, well, my beta gave me the idea for Ted being a prankster.

Second year: Yep, now its all on. Heh. Well it was on before, but now things are starting to happen. I hope my version of the confrontation doesn't let you down either. I'm somewhat anxious of posting it cause everyone has their own version and may not like mine. But I guess, this is my story and I tell it how I want to tell it, I just hope everyone likes it.

Writing beyond Hogwarts: Er………… Well, I've considered it, it is a long way off, but sometimes I find myself finding good ideas for the war and then I think 'But I'm not going to write about the war'! I guess it all depends on how I feel like when I get to the end of the seven years. I was always just going to write a bit about the war like at certain intervals, not in detail as I'm doing now, but I don't know. I guess we'll just wait and see what happens!

Your writing: Wow! I'm so glad you took my advice and started writing. You should just continue. Try not to think of it as a huge saga and take it one step at a time (I'm such a hypocrite though, cause I always think, 'oh crap, I still have ages to go till 7th year, however am I going to finish it!), I'd _love_ to read it if you do post it!

Again, thanks so much for your awesome review!


	29. Quidditch Tryouts

**Dedications: **This chapter is dedicated to **Hannanora****-Potter **for being the 500th reviewer! Yay! Thank you _so much_ **Hannanora** and to _everyone _who's reviewed, read and added the story to their fave's and C2 communities! _THANK YOU!_

**Year: 1972, 2nd Year **

**James Jabbers:**

**_Quote of the Day:_**_ A broomstick in hand makes a man! _– I made that one up myself!

"So you're definitely going to try for Chaser then?" Sirius asked me as he gulped down his food like he hadn't eaten in over a week.

It was the first Saturday of the new term and it was the day of the Quidditch tryouts, where potential Chasers and Beaters tried out for a spot on the Gryffindor team. I had been eagerly awaiting this morning for ages. I wanted so badly to be the new Chaser. Since Jared and Dominic left there was a spot on the team for a Chaser and a Beater and these tryouts would determine who they would be. I had been training all summer for the position. Dad had even bought me a new broom – the Nimbus 1001 – which was the newest and best broom on the market. It reached up to a hundred miles per hour and was especially easy to handle. I had been practicing with it all summer.

"Sure am," I said as I took a bite of a piece of toast, "do you want to come out a bit earlier with me?" I asked.

"Yeah," Sirius answered, "what about Remus and Pete?" he asked.

"Well if they're awake they might want to come, but if they're not I'll let them sleep," I replied as I took another bite of my toast.

Remus and Peter had still been in bed when Sirius and I woke up and went down to breakfast. Typically Sirius was a late riser but today I had woken him up early because he wanted to see me try out for Chaser. He loved Quidditch almost as much as I did.

When we finished breakfast I ran up to the dormitory to fetch my Nimbus 1001 to find that Remus and Peter were indeed still asleep. Remus was quite a deep sleeper and Peter was snoring loudly as I tiptoed around the room. Once I had retrieved the broom I ran back down to the Great Hall where Sirius was waiting.

Outside it was a good clear day. A beautiful azure sky glistened over our heads and not a cloud was in sight. Perfect Quidditch conditions, I thought as I went over to the seats on the edge of the pitch with Sirius for a moment to wait for the Gryffindor team.

The only thing was, there was another person in the seats already. It was Lily Evans.

She looked up as we approached; I mussed my hair as we got closer.

_If in doubt – always muss hair. _

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked as he looked down at Lily.

I stepped on Sirius' foot. Talk about _tactless_.

"None of your business," she said to Sirius.

"Well you must have a _reason_ for being here," Sirius replied.

"And I have to tell you – why exactly?" Lily glowered at Sirius.

"You don't have to tell us anything at all Lily!" I said brightly, sitting down next to her.

She moved away.

"I wasn't planning to," she replied.

"Well, you know, we were just wondering what you were doing here – that's all," I replied.

"Well go wonder about someone else," Lily replied.

Before I had the chance to reply the Quidditch team came walking to the edge of the pitch.

"Right, is everybody here?" The captain and Chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch team Caleb Mort asked. Caleb had taken over captaincy when Jared left.

We murmured in assent.

"We'll be trying out possible Chasers first, then Beaters," Caleb said to the group of potentials that had formed, "Right, Chaser's line up here." Mort pointed in front of him.

I looked around at the potential Chasers; sizing up the competition, which, I noted with satisfaction, didn't look too much of a danger to me. Alexandra, who was in our year, was standing with a broomstick in her hand. I looked to the boy on her right, I didn't know his name but he looked like he was in 6th or 7th year, he was a pretty large looking boy and would probably slow a broomstick down if anything. He wouldn't be too much of a worry.

I gazed around at the other potential Chasers in turn, none of them looked too much of a threat. I looked behind me, and to my surprise there was another potential Chaser standing about a foot or so away from me.

Lily Evans.

I widened my eyes in surprise and realization. So that's what she was doing here! I thought to myself, she was trying out for Chaser! Lily noticed me looking at her and glowered at me before turning away.

"Okay, we'll be playing a normal game to see how each of you fit into the team, I'm sure you all know the job of a Chaser, retrieve the Quaffle and put it through the hoops. When I blow a whistle and call your name you have to start playing and the potential Chaser already in the game has to stop playing. Got it?" Mort asked.

There was another murmur of assent and the Gryffindor Quidditch team mounted their brooms and kicked off the ground.

Caleb blew a whistle and yelled 'Alexandra Bennett!'

Alexandra flew up to the team and I looked up to watch the game. Alexandra wasn't very good. She totally missed the goalposts as she flung the Quaffle in the direction of the Forbidden Forest, which had to be retrieved by Olivia Richards – the 4th year Chaser.

Alexandra tried to put the Quaffle in the goal hoops several more times, each time it went off the field. One time she even threw it backwards only to hit Sturgis Podmore, the 5th Year Seeker, in the face.

I heard Caleb blow a whistle and call 'Lily Evans!' from above me. Lily mounted her broom and kicked off the ground. She flew into the air where the others were playing as Alexandra flew back down and landed on the ground.

Lily was a pretty good flyer, I must admit, as she weaved around several Bludgers and players, retrieving the Quaffle and hurling it towards the goal hoops. The Quaffle hurtled towards the hoops but was flung back out again by the 3rd year Keeper – Rhoderick McCormack. After her first miss she planted two more Quaffles through the goalposts nicely.

Caleb blew the whistle again and the large boy flew into the air as Lily landed gracefully on the ground.

"Nice flying!" I said to Lily as she put down her broomstick. She just scowled at me and turned the other way.

I was right about the large boy, I noticed as I looked up at the game above me. The broom was going pretty slow with him on it. Poor guy. He hadn't even been in the air for five minutes when a Bludger came hurtling towards him. It hit him in the face and he fell off his broom, his face covered in blood. He looked in a right state. The team landed and the large boy had to be taken up to the hospital wing escorted by Alexandra and Lily.

"Okay let's try again, there's only two people left anyway, let's go," Caleb said as the team kicked off the ground again. He blew his whistle and yelled 'Bert Kipple!' I looked over at Kipple, whom was in 3rd year. Kipple kicked off the ground and flew into the air. He retrieved the Quaffle all right but fumbled with it and dropped it a lot of times. Finally he managed to fling it through the hoops, by sheer luck more than skill I think. He retrieved the Quaffle again and dropped it for the fifth time.

Caleb blew his whistle above me and yelled 'James Potter!' I looked around nervously. It was okay when people weren't watching you but suddenly all eyes were on me.

I could hear Sirius yell 'Go James!' in the distance as I mounted my broom and flew upwards into the air.

It was the best feeling in the world. My nerves faded as I went higher into the air, just like the ground was descending away from me. I looked around. I knew what I had to do and how to do it, this was just like me playing at home with my dad, I thought to myself as I looked around to see the Quaffle being passed between Olivia and Caleb. I hurtled after the Quaffle and caught it just before it had reached the grip of Olivia. I looked down to the ground and saw everyone watching me from below. Suddenly I felt nervous and dropped the Quaffle.

_Stupid_. I was being stupid. This was just another game with dad, that's all, I thought to myself as I zoomed after the receding Quaffle. I caught up to it and this time didn't drop it.

I flew up to the middle hoop at the end and made out that I was about to throw it into the centre hoop, suddenly I swerved to the left and flung the Quaffle through the left hoop, tricking Rhoderick. Sirius let a loud whoop from somewhere below.

I grinned. This was going to be easy. After all, I had been practicing all summer for this position.

The Quaffle was now in possession of Olivia again, whom was hurtling towards the hoops at the other end. Caleb wasn't far behind. I plunged after Olivia and flew in between her and Caleb about a foot above. Olivia made to pass the Quaffle to Caleb but I dived and caught the Quaffle just in time. I flew to the other end of the pitch and planted the Quaffle through the goalpost again.

Suddenly both of the Bludgers came pelting towards me on either side from opposite directions. I knew what to do. I waited until they had gotten very close and at the last minute I flew swiftly upwards. There was a loud crash as the Bludgers collided and went pelting in opposite directions.

Sirius let out another loud whoop. I looked down at the miniscule figures below me and discovered that Lily and Alexandra had returned from the hospital wing. They were both watching me. I smiled in satisfaction, I had just done a great maneuver and Lily had been watching.

I looked around for the Quaffle again and saw it being passed between Caleb and Olivia. I dived at the sight of the passing Quaffle and retrieved it again, then sped to the end of the pitch to plant it in the golden hoop on the right. I let out a whoop of delight and swooped in and out of the goal posts.

"That is some great flying! You're a natural!" Caleb yelled to me as he prepared to blow his whistle.

"Thanks!" I yelled back with a grin on my face. Caleb blew the whistle a last time and the team and I descended to the ground. I landed next to Sirius who was beaming at me.

"Right we want to talk to some of you individually before we make a decision," Caleb said, "Right, Lily," Caleb called to Lily and she went over to talk to the team out of earshot.

"Alex," Caleb called as Lily came back.

I waited as the team went through and talked to Alex then Kipple.

"James," Caleb called as Kipple came back. I went over to them and waited.

"Right James, are you involved in any clubs or anything like that?" Caleb asked.

"Nope," I replied.

"Anything that might stop you from coming to practice if you were Chaser?" Caleb asked.

I thought for a moment. Well, if I had detention that would stop me, "Well… only detention," I replied. Caleb regarded me. "But I'll try not to get any detentions," I replied hastily.

"Right, good then, you can go now," Caleb said. I walked away. The team started talking in hushed voices. Caleb seemed to be having an argument with Olivia Richards about something or other.

When the team had finished talking they trudged back over to us. I looked at them in anticipation.

"Okay, we'll be trying out for Beater's now, can you line up here please?" Caleb pointed in front of him.

"But aren't you going to tell us who got Chaser?" I asked Caleb eagerly.

"We'll tell you after we pick the Beater," Caleb replied with a wink – which I took to be a very good sign.

I nodded as the potential Beaters lined up. There were only three of them. There was Eleanor Adair – a 4th year – who in my experience could scare the pants off anyone she yelled at. Next to Eleanor stood Russell Williams – a very skinny 3rd year who looked as if he wouldn't be able to hold up a bat let along hit a Bludger with it. Next in line was John Collins, a pudgy 5th year.

"Right, I'm sure you know the job of a Beater so when I yell your name and blow the whistle you have to start playing, and the potential Beater already playing has to stop playing," Caleb explained and the team took to the air for the second time.

"Eleanor Adair!" Caleb yelled and Eleanor Adair mounted her broom and sped up into the air. I watched as Connor Gallagher, the 6th Year Beater hit a Bludger to Eleanor. The Bludger came speeding at her and she swung her bat back and hit it with a yell and a force I didn't think was possible from a girl. The Bludger went pelting in the other direction and she flew towards the second Bludger and hit that one as well.

She kept hitting Bludgers for another couple of minutes until Caleb blew the whistle and yelled, "John Collins!"

The pudgy 5th year boy flew up into the air. He hit the Bludger instantly, but the second time he accidentally hit it straight at Rhodrick, who swerved just in time. After that it seemed that Collins just kept getting more nervous. He nearly dropped his bat as a Bludger came flying straight at him and had to dodge it quickly as Connor flew over and hit it out of the way.

Caleb blew his whistle, "Russell Williams!" he yelled and the skinny 3rd year flew up into the air quite quickly. He would have probably made a brilliant Seeker I thought, as I watched him fly speedily up towards the team, but not a good Beater. Most Beaters had to be strong and sturdy or be able to hit with force. Williams didn't look like he had any of those qualities. Maybe he just wanted to get into the team so he would try for any position and once he was in maybe he'd try to change positions. Some people do that.

I watched as Williams flew around the air. The Bludger came hurtling towards him and at the last minute he seemed to lose his nerve and flew swiftly out of harms way.

"You're meant to _hit_ the Bludger, Williams!" I heard Caleb yell from the other end of the pitch.

Another Bludger came hurtling towards Williams. This time he turned to face it, his face written with determination. It hurtled closer and Williams swung his bat back and smashed it into the Bludger, which zoomed in the other direction. It was a fair hit but it looked that that would be the one and only hit Williams would be able to do as he rubbed his right arm sorely.

Caleb blew his whistle again and the Gryffindor team, along with Williams, flew down to land where we all stood.

"We need to talk to the potential Beater's separately for a moment. Right, Eleanor," Caleb said moving away with the team as Eleanor followed after them.

The team talked to Williams and Collins after Eleanor.

"Right, we're going to have a quick discussion and then we'll announce who got in," Caleb called to us as we waited eagerly.

It seemed as if we waited for ages for the team to come to a decision. The seconds seemed to drag on forever as I waited in anticipation. I really hoped that I'd get in. I loved Quidditch so much and would hate it if I wasn't able to get in.

I watched eagerly as Caleb and the team finished talking and came walking back over to us.

"Okay, we've made some decisions. Thank you everyone for trying out and if you don't make it this time there's always a next time," Caleb said, looking around at all of us. He looked at me pointedly.

My heart plummeted.

Maybe I wasn't going to get in. I didn't want to think about it.

Caleb continued, "Our new Beater is-" the three potential Beaters listened eagerly, "Eleanor!" Caleb said. Eleanor let out a whoop. The other two congratulated her but looked disappointed.

"I knew I wouldn't get it anyway," Russell Williams told Rhoderick, who was standing next to him.

"So who's the new Chaser then?" I asked Caleb.

"Right, the new Chaser is…" I could feel my heart thumping in my chest, if I didn't get it… "James Potter!" Caleb announced.

I let out a loud whoop of delight as Sirius and the team members congratulated me.

"I _knew_ you'd get it!" Sirius chortled and slapped me on the back.

"There wasn't any competition! Oh, except for Lily maybe," Mort whispered in my ear. I beamed at him. I couldn't believe it!

I was the new Gryffindor Chaser!

I looked around at the others who had tried for Chaser, all of whom looked extremely put out. Especially Lily. I noticed her whispering in Alexandra's ear, Alexandra was clearly not listening; she was looking at Sirius. Sirius didn't seem to notice.

"This calls for a celebration!" Sirius announced as we walked back up to the castle with the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Which, I can proudly say, I was now part of.

"It definitely does," I replied happily.

Once we had arrived back at the Gryffindor common room the news spread that I was the new Chaser and Eleanor was the new Beater and people came to congratulate us and tell us that we had better be good.

"I knew you'd get in James!" Peter said as he took a sip of pumpkin juice. Sirius and Peter had gone down to the kitchens to get some food and drink to celebrate.

"Thanks Peter!" I replied as I looked around the common room. There was a definite relaxed atmosphere and many of the students joined in the celebrating, drinking, eating and laughing.

"Maybe this year Gryffindor will win the Quidditch Cup," Remus said as he took a bite of a cherry tart.

"I hope so," I said as I saw Caleb walking towards me.

"How you feeling James?" Caleb asked, holding a glass of drink.

"Great," I beamed.

"Good. Listen, practice is three nights a week; our first game is at the start of November, against Slytherin." he told me.

"Okay," I replied.

"If you can play as well as you did today we'll be sure to win," Caleb said.

I grinned, "I'll try!"

"Cheers," Caleb said before walking away.

We spent the rest of the day celebrating my acceptance into the Gryffindor Quidditch team by eating, drinking, laughing and talking about Quidditch and various tactics I would be sure to use.

That night I went to bed with a very full stomach and a general feeling of great happiness washed over me. I had been chosen as the new Gryffindor Chaser!

I was going to try my hardest to win the Quidditch Cup and make everyone proud of me – especially the team, my parents and my friends.

_And_ I would have the opportunity of wiping those stupid smirks off of the Slytherins' ugly mugs.

Which is always a bonus.

7 7 7

**Author's Notes: **Thank you again to everyone who has been reading, reviewing and appreciating 'Memoirs' I really do appreciate it and I love you all and without you there would be no story. Thank you also to everyone who has added the story to C2 communities and favourites, I really was overwhelmed and just so happy to see how many of you did, so thank you SO MUCH!

**French-Chipmunk: **Thanks a lot! Yes I like to expand on the characters lives when writing the story, otherwise there wouldn't _be _a story to begin with!

**Thehpgang**Thanks for the corrections! Yes Slade should be fed to Blast ended skrewts, and yes, there's a reason why Crevan isn't there. He's having an extended vacation. ;-)

**Miss Penny: **Thanks very much! Yes they are awesome!

**brennQT**Thanks so much! Glad you like Sirius, he's the best! Yes the potions teacher is nasty, but he wont be there for long so don't worry! Thanks again!

**Anarane**Wow! Thanks very much! Glad you loved the star thing, Sirius is the brightest star in the sk-yyy! Yay! Heh

**xMissxUnderstoodx**Thank you very much! I'm glad the characterisation is how you imagined them, I'm really glad!

**LupinLover99: **Thanks! Yes you have ta love Sirius, even if he's annoying, which makes me love him even more:D

**Lupinae**Thanks so much! I'm glad you like the way I describe Remus, and the dialogue and the characterisation! Hm, well I do try to update at least once a month, twice if your lucky! Heh. Thank you very much for taking the time to review!

**Marry me: **Thanks so much:-D

**Insanewelshangel**Aw thanks so much for the long review and helping with the 500 review thing! Yay! Sirius is my fave as well! Glad you liked the R/J bonding time! Thanks for the cookie:-D And so glad you like the pranks! I love writing pranks though sometimes it feels as if they get boring cause some of them are kinda the same. Glad Sirius' birthday was one of your fave chaps, its one of mine as well! Once again thank you so much for all your thoughts and comments on the story, I do really appreciate them!

**Visualpurple**Oh really? – Sirius is the brightest star only from earth? Hmph. That's interesting! I never knew that! I might just have to slip that in in Remus' dialogue somewhere, it could be funny! (I'd credit you of course, if I use it!) Hrm, my favourite HP character besides MWPP? That's a hard one. Its Mrs. Figg… Hahahah, just joking (not that there's anything wrong with her)… erm, seriously, I don't know! I like Harry… and and Gred and Forge, and Bill. Bill's cool. I don't know, I don't really have a fave HP character besides MWPP! (That sound bad!). Yes I know the story is moving really slow, (especially since I take ages to update! Sorry), but well, at least its moving! ;-D Hahaha. Thanks so much again for your review I really appreciate it and you may not be the 500th reviewer but your just as awesome:D

**Unforgettable: **Thanks very much! Glad you liked that lolly line!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Hi! Thanks for the review:-D Yes on to second year finally! Glad you liked Petes encounter with the Slytherins! Thanks again!

**Siriusroks73: **Thanks so much:-D

**SparklingDiamond007: **Hi! Thank you very much for your awesome words & comments I really appreciate them! Glad you like the characterisation! Yay! Thank you so much again!

**JanetLily**Yes Sirius will rattle on forever about the star, if he remembers! Heh. Crevan is on an extended vacation ;-). The fireworks went off by themselves I think, too many nervous first years without magic training was enough to set them off! Glad you liked the chapter, thanks so much!

**Alianna**** Campbell: **Heh, yes Sirius found out sooner that he was named after a star! And now he aint gonna shut up about it! Heh. Ooooh, Remus' secret is _very _close to being revealed!

**Erica: **No I can never have too much praise! And you didn't post for that chapter so its okay! Slade… well, he's just a casual teacher until Crevan comes back, and Crevan's on an extended vacation, as James suggests. ;-). Hehehee – I absolutely loved that 'but not the brightest guy in class' thing, maybe I will put that in there next time Sirius claims he's the brightest star in the sky! (Will credit you of course!) Glad you loved it! Thanks a lot!

**Shalaren**Aw. Yes songs do have that effect, don't they? Kind of gives more mood to a piece, that's why I always listen to music when I write. I haven't decided how to end this yet though, I was going to end it after 7 years but I don't know now! It depends. Thanks again!

**Hannanora****-Potter: **Hi! You're the 500th REVIEWER! YAY! (As you're aware! Hehe) And I dedicated this chapter to you cause, well, cause you're the 500th reviewer and even though you said I didn't need to I wanted to anyway because well, you're the 500th reviewer! WOOHOO!

Hehe, you felt indignant on Pippy's behalf, well that's nice, perhaps you could start a campaign against the marauders on their abuse towards house elves. Eheh. I am serious! _Yes_ the irony in 'they'll abandon you' _was _intentional. (Not.) hehe. I just thought of it as something Narcissa would say because she's evil. Chapter 21 was first year. I'm glad you like Professor Bones! I do too, he's a cool teacher. Yes I will be making the story all seven years. Thank you so much again for reviewing and hitting the 500 mark, I really appreciate it and just THANK YOU!

**Elvenwolf123321: **Thanks for the review! Heh, Sirius was the only star on the screen in that presentation thing? Well that's cool! Thanks again! Ooh, you missed out on being 500 by just one review I think, but still, you're awesome as well because you review! YAY!

**T.A Lovely: **Thank you so much for the long review! I'm really glad your starting to like Peter. Hehe, blaming Filch for the fireworks, now that's a great idea! Crevan is merely having an extended vacation ;-). Slade, well I don't know about a connection to Slytherin… but all will be revealed! Astronomy is cool, I would love to have a mother like yours too! She sounds like Philomena! OMG about Remus' birthday! WOAH! That is crazy! Your not serious are you! Wow. We both must be psychic! I wasn't even really thinking about star signs when I did that either! Well I'm glad you're considering writing your own version of MWPP! I hope you do! So you actually watched PoA? That's good:) I agree with just about everything you said. And Snape and Sybil married! Aaaaaahhhh! That'd be a match made in hell! Haha. They're the complete opposite of one another. Thanks very much again for your review!

**Lavender sykes: **Thanks very much! I'm glad you love R/S arguing with each other! I LOVE writing it! Seriously, its probably one of my fave things to write! Ah I love them so. Thanks again!

**Captainwaldo**Thanks very much for reviewing! I understand about the love/hate relationships about MWPP stories, me too! But actually that's why I started this story in the first place, so I could write about them all being together and be immersed in their world when they were together and having fun instead of later when they all… well… when they go and Remus is alone.

**Delano**Thank you SO much! Glad you like it! Wow! And once again, you may not be the 500th reviewer but your awesome for reviewing just the same:-D Thanks so much again!

**Pixiedust**Thank you very much! I'm really glad you reviewed, and the chapter your thinking of is coming _very very _soon!

**Legosgurl**Thank you very mucho:-D


	30. A Secret Revealed

**Dedications: **This chapter is dedicated to those reviewers who have been constantly begging, hurrying, pestering and actually being patient with me to get to this point in the story!… _You know who you are_… ;-D (And I love you all the more. Yay!)

**Year: 1972, 2nd Year**

**Sirius' Story:**

**Quote of the Day:**_Your friend is the person who knows all about you, and still likes you…_

After James got into the Quidditch team he was out more often at practice. The Gryffindor Quidditch team started practicing four nights a week so that their new team members were sure to be up to scratch. With James at practice almost every night I spent more time with Remus and Peter.

That was when I began to notice things about Remus that I had dismissed or not thought about much in our first year – like he was always sick and pale for days at a time every single month without fail, and he disappeared only to come back weary and dazed. His excuses for his disappearances varied but mostly he said it was because his mother was sick all the time. I was the only one who noticed these regular absences though, because James was too caught up in Quidditch and Peter didn't really take notice or he wasn't bright enough to figure out the clues. After all, he always believed Remus whenever he told Peter that his mother was sick.

But I knew better.

I knew since our first year that Remus wasn't telling the truth about things, such as where he went every month, but I was reluctant to push the subject. Every time I did Remus got snappy and closed me off. I hadn't put the whole picture together until it hit me one night a couple of days after one of Remus' regular absences.

"Hey Remus, whacha doin'?" I asked as I slid into a chair next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room. James and Peter took chairs around the fire as well. It was a Thursday night and James, Peter and I had just come back from dinner. Remus hadn't been at dinner and I was wondering why.

Remus was flicking through a thick leather bound book and scribbling hastily onto a piece of parchment. He looked very pale. "Trying to do the Defense Against the Dark Arts homework," Remus replied, "what are you guys doing?" he asked.

"Nothing – just came back from dinner. Why weren't you there?" I asked curiously.

"I really had to get this homework done, I'm behind," Remus explained as he looked wearily up at the dark sky through the common room windows. The waning light of the moon illuminated his exasperated face.

"Why didn't you do it earlier? If you weren't away last week then you could have had it done by now," James said as he looked down at Remus' attempts at homework.

"I had to go visit my mum again. She was really sick," Remus said.

I surveyed him closely; he was avoiding my eyes. I didn't want to ask any more questions about his 'sick mother' because I knew if I did he would close me off – but I could tell almost straight away that he wasn't telling the truth. He never had been telling the truth from the first year. I gleaned as much, but I never really thought about it much and just dismissed it. But now I wanted to know _why_.

What could Remus Lupin – the quiet, secretive boy – possibly be hiding?

"Oh, I hope she's better then," Peter said.

"Give me a look," I said and picked up the Dark Arts book from the table attempting to help Remus with a bit of homework. I flicked through the pages.

"I can do it Sirius, give it here," Remus replied and tried to pull the book back off me.

"What are you talking about? I can help you. What are we up to?" I asked looking at the contents.

"Werewolves," Peter replied derisively. He had always been scared of huge monsters. "I wish we didn't have to study those murderous beasts," Peter said, leaning over to look at the page that I had flipped open to. There was a large picture of a werewolf, blood and saliva dripping from its sharp teeth, wiry hair covered its whole body and its amber eyes glinted with malice as it howled and hurtled towards its prey.

"What do we have to write about them?" I asked, taking my eyes off the picture in front of me as Peter sat back and shuddered.

"Um, how to recognize them or something I think, and their history or something like that," James replied.

I started to read the information about werewolves out loud…

"'_Werewolves are found worldwide, though they are believed to have originated in Northern Europe. Humans turn into werewolves only when they're bitten. The otherwise sane and normal wizard or Muggle that has been afflicted by a werewolf transforms into a murderous beast once a month. As yet there is no known cure for Lycanthropy _…'"

"Are you copying this?" I asked Remus as I read out the passage. I looked up at Remus who looked, if possible, paler then before. His hands were shaking slightly, and he avoided my eyes, but he copied what I was saying down onto the parchment. I read on…

"'W_erewolves are hard to recognize as they have the appearance of a normal human when there is no full moon. Some things to look for in distinguishing a werewolf in an untransformed state are:_

· _Restlessness nearing the full moon_

· _Periods of absence on and after the date of the full moon_

· _A pale and sickly appearance in the week proceeding the full moon_,'"

I stopped reading and looked up at Remus again, he was shakily copying the work down, and his face was still pale. I scanned the page again; the points seemed to jump out at me for the first time…

_'Restlessness nearing the full moon_

_Periods of absence on and after the date of the full moon_

_A pale and sickly appearance in the week proceeding the full moon_,'

They echoed through my mind.

I looked up at Remus… _Surely not? It couldn't be. No… _my mind was whirring. _What if it was true? It all seemed to fit together, and yet it seemed so… _I glanced up at Remus again who was glancing nervously around the common room. He had stopped writing and finally our eyes met for a flicker of a moment.

Suddenly something _clicked_…

"I. Feel. Sick." Remus choked and hastily packed his gear back inside his bag. "Got-to-go," his voice was trembling as he dashed up the stairs to the boy's dormitory and out of sight.

I still held the Dark Arts book limply in my hands, in shock at what I had just discovered.

"What the hell was that all about?" James asked.

"No idea," Peter replied, completely clueless.

I sat there, my mind was in a daze, _surely not Remus, he couldn't be…_ I thought.

"Sirius, are you going to say something? Or are you just going to sit there looking like a stunned house-elf until Christmas?" James asked, still, apparently clueless.

"Surely not Remus, he can't be… that's not…" I murmured to myself still trying to make sense of the situation.

"Couldn't be what? Not what? What the hell are you talking about?" James demanded.

"It all seems to fit…" I said quietly.

"What fits?" Peter asked.

"Are you going to tell us what you're talking about or should we wait until next Easter?" James asked.

"Read this," I shoved the book into James' hands and pointed to the points on how to distinguish a werewolf.

James, with Peter leaning in to read it, read the points. He read them aloud,

_"'Restlessness nearing the full moon_

_Periods of absence on and after the date of the full moon_

_A pale and sickly appearance in the week proceeding the full moon_,'"

"Where's a moon chart?" I asked as I searched frantically through the various papers lying on the table for a chart.

James stared at me, "You… you think Remus… he's a… he's a _werewolf_?"

"It's not _im_possible," I replied.

"It's absurd!" Peter declared instantly.

"No…" James said slowly, "It's _not_…"

"Yes! It is!" Peter replied. He usually didn't disagree with James but I had a feeling he didn't want to believe it.

I looked at Peter, "Why do you think he's always pale every month? And sick? _Why_ Peter?" I asked, my brain was firing ahead of me, I was already believing that Remus _was_ a werewolf. Half of me was hoping that it was some horrible misunderstanding, that we'd go up to the dormitory and find that Remus was actually sick and wasn't a werewolf, yet the other half was already angry that I had overlooked something as huge as this, and what was more – Remus hadn't even told me!

"Because he's always like that!" Peter broke into my thoughts, "He's always been pale! And he gets sick easily!" Peter said, his eyes wild with fear as he glanced at the picture of the werewolf, "That's just in his nature!"

"He gets sick _every_ month! _Once _a month!" I hissed, "Where do you think he goes every month and comes back sick and pale and distant!"

"He goes to visit his mother and aunt when they're sick! He _said_ so!" Peter said, not wanting to believe that Remus had been lying to us all this time.

"You really believe that? His mother seemed perfectly fine when I saw her on Platform 9 ¾!" I replied, finally finding the moon chart. "Look! It was full moon a week ago! Where was Remus a week ago? Visiting his sick mother! He's been lying to us!"

"No! No! Remus wouldn't do that!" Peter looked around wildly, as if expecting a fully transformed werewolf to come hurtling out of the shadows and attack him.

"It all makes sense…" I said, thinking back on everything. Remus was sick every month, he was always pale and restless, and when he came back from 'visiting' he seemed jumpy and was angry sometimes even, he was distant and sick. This happened _every_ month. And whenever I would ask him more about his visiting he always became guarded and avoided my questions.

How stupid had we been not to realize it sooner?

Remus had been lying to us ever since we met him! We had shared with him everything and he lies right back to us! _I _had shared my secrets with him, about my family, about everything, and he didn't even tell us something as big as this!

Anger, shock and disbelief rippled through me.

My mind was on fire.

Remus Lupin – awerewolf! Remus, the Remus I thought I knew so well – a _werewolf_! Remus the quiet boy, hiding something as big as this from us! And I thought he was my friend! Sure, I knew that Remus was hiding something, that he was secretive – but I thought it was just something trivial, not something as big as him being a werewolf!

"Merlin's balls. A _werewolf_!" James said suddenly, as if the truth was finally sinking in for the first time for him as well.

"You guys are barmy," Peter said, "Remus _can't_ be a werewolf! It's impossible!" he said, trying to convince himself, more than us, that it wasn't true.

"Why didn't we realize it _sooner_?" James said, ignoring Peter, "remember when we had to beat that Boggart, and we couldn't work out what Remus' Boggart turned into? We thought it was a crystal ball; it must have been the _full moon_." James said.

"Of course! But why didn't he tell us!" I said angrily.

Peter was visibly paling.

"And look at this moon chart!" James said grabbing the moon chart, "all the time that he was away it's been a full moon!"

"I can't believe this!" I said.

"Neither can I," replied James.

"I'm going to see him," I said instantly, standing up. I didn't know what the hell I was going to say, but I wanted _answers_. I wanted to know why he hadn't told us. And I wanted to know right now.

James stood up behind me.

"Are you coming Peter?" I asked, looking down at Peter. But he didn't move an inch; slowly his gaze turned from the book that I had been reading to James and I.

"What?" Peter said hazily, "Oh… no… I'll stay here…. I have to do… things," he said, and started to pick up some of his books.

I stared at him in momentary disbelief. "Suit yourself then!" I said.

I didn't have time for Peter right now. He could stay here for all I cared.

I turned and thundered up the dormitory staircase, James close behind me. As I scrambled up the stairs my brain was still on fire.

I couldn't believe it…

_Remus was a werewolf, and we hadn't even noticed_…

_What was more – he hadn't even told us!_

* * *

**Remus Rants:**

**Quote of the Day:**_ Friends are like angels; they lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly. _

I slammed the dormitory door behind me and pushed my back up against it. _Sirius knows, _I thought as I slid down the door.

My hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. I could feel cold sweat soaking into my robes.

_He worked it out_.

How could I have been so careless?

As soon as Sirius had started reading out about werewolves my hands had started to shake, the voice inside my brain echoing _What if they find out? _while a frantic wave of panic washed over me. Peter's voice echoed through my head…

_'I wish we didn't have to study those murderous beasts'…_

_Murderous beasts… _the words echoed hollowly through my mind.

I felt my stomach clench in fear, anxiety and anger. How could I be so stupid? Sirius would tell James and Peter. I wondered how long the news would take to circulate the school.

How long it would be until I was kicked out…

_How they must despise you… You **lied** to them…Betrayed them…_

_They'll never want to talk to you again… _

Of course they wouldn't. They'd be scared of me. They'd never be my friends now. I couldn't believe how careless I'd been.

Sirius knows.

_He knows. _

I thought back to when he was reading the passage out, when our eyes met. I had seen something like verification and disbelief in his piercing gaze. He _knew_ what I was. And by now James and Peter would know as well.

Even in all this turmoil that I was feeling, some small part of me somewhere felt a small relief, I wouldn't have to hide it anymore, I wouldn't have to lie to them any longer. Oh, but what was I _thinking_! They would disown me straight away. I don't blame them, for who would want to be friends with a _werewolf_?

I heard the clatter of two pairs of feet making their way up the stairs. What was I going to do? I thought. My mind stopped for a moment. Two pairs? _Two_? But then… that would mean one of them was missing. One of them was… I didn't have any time to think into it further. My heart was hammering faster than ever now, soon they would be here, and they would demand to know everything. There was no possible way I could escape them now…

The footsteps drew nearer. Suddenly they stopped.

The two must be standing outside the door. Maybe they'd try to hurt me for what I was. Maybe they'd already told the other Gryffindors. _Maybe_-

"-Open up Remus! We know you're in there!" Sirius' voice demanded angrily as he banged on the door. My heart was practically leaping out of my chest.

"….N….No…" I whimpered.

"Come on Lupin, we know what you are," James' voice came through the door.

"Go away!" I cried desperately. I wished they'd just go away.

"No, we'll stay here all night if we have to. Come on Remus just open the door, we can talk about this," James said.

"_Go away_!" I repeated.

"Alohamora!" Sirius murmured roughly and the lock on the door clicked open, he tried to push the door open from the other side but I pushed my weight against the door to prevent them opening it.

"Strong little bugger when he wants to be," James muttered.

"Come _on_ Remus! We're your _friends_! Open up!" Sirius said through the crack in the door.

"_No_! Just leave me alone!" I said.

"We _deserve_ to know what's going on! We're _meant_ to be your friends!" Sirius said, "I'm not taking any more of this Lupin! You've got ten seconds to move, then I'm going to blast the door down," he said sharply.

Sirius was right. They _did _deserve answers.

But Sirius was furious with me, and who would blame him? I had been hiding the fact that I turned into a monster who tried to kill once a month from them. I hadn't been honest with them about anything. And they had been so honest with me. Sirius had shared things with me and I had kept something as big as this from them. For a moment I wondered wildly whether Sirius would curse me once he had the door open.

_It'd be no more than you deserve _A voice said nastily in my head. And it was right, it _would_ be no more than I deserved. Who deserved anything when they betrayed their friends?

What could I do? I looked over to James' trunk, his broomstick was lying on top of it; maybe I could grab it and fly out the window…

_And __then what?_ A voice asked in my head.

My hands were shaking frantically. My heart hammered and it felt like my mind completely shut down as Sirius began to count. I couldn't move. I couldn't talk. I felt paralyzed.

"1…" Sirius counted.

Memories rushed through my head and time seemed to slow down completely. I thought of all the good times I had shared with my friends. Those good times that were about to come to a devastating halt. I thought of the first time I had met them, on the Hogwarts Express. When they had accepted me with no questions asked.

_"Er… H….Hi… Could I sit in here? I just kinda… got kicked out of my compartment," I said nervously, gazing at Sirius Black and James Potter, the two biggest trouble makers I would ever meet, though I didn't know it yet._

_"Sure, make yourself at home," James said kindly. _

_I smiled gratefully and sat down in the compartment.. _

_The two boys introduced themselves as Sirius Black and James Potter. James was the one with the glasses and pink hair and Sirius was the one with the blue hair. I could tell already that they were going to be troublemakers as Sirius and James told me about the curse war they had just had with Sirius' cousin and the slimy boy known as Severus Snape. _

_"So are you going to leave your face like that or what?" I asked spotty faced James after a while. I was beginning to feel more comfortable in Sirius' and James' presence. It felt good to laugh and talk with people my age. Something that I had missed out on for so long._

_"Well I can't exactly fix it. I don't know how, and I'm not letting Sirius either, he'd probably give me antennas or something," James snorted. Sirius and I laughed._

_"I could try and fix it for you, though I could only fix the spots, I don't know how to change hair back. I've been practicing a couple of spells," I explained. _

_"Uh, okay," James agreed. _

_I pointed my wand at James' face and said a spell, suddenly antennas started to grow out of the top of James' head. I went bright red and Sirius burst out laughing, James looked at his reflection in the window and burst out laughing as well. Soon all three of us were shaking with uncontrollable laughter._

_"And I thought Sirius was hopeless!" James said after we had stopped chuckling._

_"Sorry! It was worth a try," I apologized._

_"No need to apologize Remus, all he needs now is a pair of googely eyes and he'd look like an overgrown insect," Sirius said, and we started laughing again…_

"2…" Sirius' voice floated through the door, interrupting my frantic thoughts. "3…"

_"Lupin, Remus!" McGonagall called out. We were at the Sorting and our year was being Sorted into the various houses. Sirius had already been Sorted into Gryffindor. I walked forward towards the Sorting Hat, my legs shaking as I felt the whole school staring at me. I wondered how many of the staff already knew about me. I sat down on the chair, my hands gripping the side of the stool shakily. All of sudden thoughts flashed through my head: Did I really belong here? Did I deserve to be here? Did a werewolf belong here? What if I had made a horrible mistake in coming to Hogwarts, I thought, as the hat was placed on my head. Suddenly there was a voice inside my head, the hat could talk! _

_"Ah, yes, I've been waiting for you, I've heard about you, yes indeed, the **wolf**," the hat said. _

_My heart gave a jolt, how did the Sorting Hat know what I was? No one except Dumbledore, the staff and my parents knew what I was._

_"Yes, I know what you are, I see you've got a strong heart and mind, hmm, yes, and very courageous too, well, it better be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled as the Gryffindor table applauded, I smiled shyly as I made my way over to the Gryffindor table to sit next to Sirius._

_"This is great! We're both in Gryffindor!" Sirius said happily as I sat down. _

_Yes it **was** great, I thought to myself… _

"4… 5…"

I thought of Peter… of the first time we really became friends…

_"…So what is your family like?" Peter asked. We were sitting alone in our dormitory._

_"Well, they're pretty good, they've always been looking after me, sometimes though, they can get a bit overprotective," I replied with a smile, reminiscing about my home. I missed it already. I missed being together with my family. Even if my mother was a little too overprotective of me. _

_"What about your family? What are they like?" I asked._

_"They're nice as well, I sort of miss them," Peter replied._

_"Yeah, I miss mine as well, I'm an only child, what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked._

_"No-well, not yet, I will soon though!" Peter replied excitedly, "Mum's pregnant! She just found out this month, they sent me a letter about it a couple of days ago, I'm excited, this will be my first new brother or sister," he said happily._

_"Really?" I smiled, "that's great, I've always wanted a brother or sister, I think it'd be great," I said._

_"Yeah, me too, I can't wait," Peter replied…_

"6…"

I thought of the time by the lake, when I had found Sirius throwing rocks angrily into the lake. When our friendship really deepened. When Sirius had confided in me.

_I was wondering around the Hogwarts grounds, just thinking, wondering where Sirius had got to. Thinking about my life at Hogwarts when I spotted Sirius by the side of the lake, looking furious about something. I stopped and stood behind him. _

_"You know," I said as Sirius stopped his arm in mid-throw, and I continued, "you could poke the giant squid's eye out the way you're going Sirius." _

_Sirius dropped the rock he was holding and his arm fell limply to his side, he turned around and faced me, I looked down at him calmly with the hint of a smile. _

_"What do you want Remus?" Sirius asked icily before turning back around. He started throwing rocks into the lake again, but this time less violently._

_"Nothing, I was just walking," I said simply, "of course I can keep walking if you want." I offered. If Sirius wanted to be alone I would completely understand. But if he needed to talk then I would be there for him. _

_"I don't care," he said, still in a temper._

_I thought for a moment, then walked closer to the boy sitting there sullenly and sat down beside him and looked out at the shimmering lake._

_"You know I couldn't get back to sleep after you woke us up, you idiot," I said with a smile. After Sirius didn't reply I said, "So I take it that no one tried to kidnap you then?" I asked softly, hoping I could comfort him in some small way. _

_Sirius continued throwing rocks into the lake, not looking at me he answered, "far from it." _

_"Want to talk about it?" I asked._

_"No," Sirius snapped._

_I picked up a rock and threw it into the lake but it didn't go very far. I kept on throwing them. _

_After a while Sirius snorted at me, "You're hopeless."_

_I laughed and threw another one in, which didn't go any further than my previous attempts._

_"Is that the best you can do?" Sirius asked teasingly._

_"Shut up," I replied playfully. Sirius' mood seemed to be improving._

_"Look, you have to throw like this," Sirius demonstrated, "put some more elbow-grease into it," he said._

_I tried Sirius' version of throwing, and the rock went a little further than any of my others did._

_"That's better," Sirius replied, seeming to enjoy my company. _

_"I bet you can't skim one," Sirius said, picking up a thin rock and skimming it across the surface of the lake skillfully._

_Without a word I picked up a rock and skimmed it across the lake, it skimmed across the water perfectly and went even further than Sirius' attempt. _

_I grinned as Sirius said, "Okay so you can skim a rock, but you still throw like a girl."_

_"Bite me Sirius," I joked._

_"Remus?" Sirius asked after a while, turning his head to look at me._

_"Hmm?" _

_"Do you believe in destiny?" he asked seriously._

_I looked at Sirius, "yes," I replied slowly._

_"Do you think that you can't escape your own?" Sirius asked._

_"That depends," I answered, looking up into the blue depths of the sky._

_"On what?" Sirius asked turning back to look at the glimmering lake again._

_"On whether you want to or not," I said simply…_

"7…"

I thought of one afternoon, in our Defence Against The Dark Arts lesson, when I had really felt a connection with James…

_"Mind if I go with you?" James asked, standing in front of my desk and mussing his hair. I shrugged in answer and opened my book to page 137. _

_"So, Remus…" James said, "how's school going?"_

_I looked at James strangely. How was school going? Even I could have thought of better conversation starter than that. I mean, I had basically every class with him so he must have a fair idea. But then again, this is James Potter we're talking about here._

_One could never tell._

_James grinned at me, "Sorry, I was just trying to make conversation… and I'm failing miserably obviously... Look, you know that the only reason Sirius asks all those questions is because he's a curious little git, and well, he's concerned as well… so am I."_

_I took a while to reply, "I know James. But it's just… it gets annoying. I mean, he just asks too many things, and I get sick of it, I know he means well…"_

_"Yeah, Sirius can get annoying, but that's his job really," James grinned at me. I smiled a little. "But really, Remus, it's hard to tell what's going on with you. You never tell us much…"_

_"What is there to tell?"_

_"Well, anything, whatever you feel like, you know we'll always listen. You listen to us whenever we need to rant so it's only fair if we return the favour. You can tell us whatever you feel like." James replied._

_If only I could. Oh how much they didn't know._

_And wouldn't want to know._

_"Thanks a lot James. I appreciate it." I replied genuinely, looking at him._

_"Well, you know, that's what friends are for Remus." James grinned back_

"8…"

I thought of my first fight with Sirius, the first fight I had had with any of my friends, and the time we made up…

_I opened the door of the dormitory slowly. James and Peter were asleep, their curtains were closed. I could hear Peter's snoring coming from behind his curtained bed. _

_But Sirius. Sirius was still up. I looked at Sirius as I stood in the doorway. His arms were hugging his legs to his chest. He didn't take his eyes from the dark sky when I closed the door quietly.  
_

_"You had no right." Sirius said quietly. His voice cut through the air like a knife. _

_"I know."_

_"It wasn't your business." _

_"I know."_

_"I'll choose my friends wherever I like. And I'll decide whether they're true friends or not."_

_I didn't say anything. _

_"I can look after myself."_

_"I know." _

"I don't need another person telling me what to do or who to be friends with. I get that enough from my family, from Crevan – Bellatrix – Narcissa – Amias – Cyrilla…"

_"Sirius…" _

_His grey eyes flicked at me for a moment, then went back to looking out the window at the stars._

_"Before you say anything else. I'm sorry. I'm really very sorry. And I know I was wrong. But I was worried for you. I don't know Mundungus properly; I thought that he might be trying to trick you. I never knew you were good friends. You never told me… I'm sorry."_

_Sirius didn't reply for a while. Then his voice came, soft, "Seems like we all have our secrets. Doesn't it?" _

_"Yes." I said, "Sorry."_

_"Have I ever questioned your friends Remus?" _

_"No."_

_"No, I have never. So understand that I can choose for myself who's a true friend and who's not." Sirius said. "That's why I chose you." _

_Sirius finally turned and looked at me, his eyes boring into my own. "I chose you. To be my friend. I wanted to be your friend. Just like I wanted to be James' friend." _

_I didn't know what to say to that. _

_"And I wasn't a proper friend back." I whispered, gulping._

_"Remus. You are a proper friend back. A true friend. Just let me choose my own friends, okay?"_

_I nodded._

_There was a short silence._

_"Especially if they can get me some __kick arse__ fireworks." Sirius looked at me and grinned. I let out a choked laugh. _

_The tension was gone._

_"So are we okay?" I asked._

_"Friends? Of course. Okay? As in normal - sane? I don't really think either of us will ever be able to say that." Sirius laughed. _

"9…"

I thought of Sirius' first birthday at Hogwarts. The day when we bonded together as a true group of friends and branded ourselves 'The Marauders'. That day we had done a massive prank on the whole school, but had been discovered by McGonagall. We had just left Dumbledore's office…

_"Guys, I've got it!" Sirius said suddenly, as we walked along the corridor away from Dumbledore's office._

_"Got what?" Peter asked, puzzled._

_"I've got what we can be called!" Sirius said, beaming._

_"Well, what is it?" I asked, eager to know._

_"It better not be as bad as 'Sirius Black and his sidekicks'," James muttered._

_"'The Marauders!'" Sirius said, as if announcing something very big. "It's perfect! Don't you think! It's everything we want it to be! It suggests mischief, it suggests mayhem, and it suggests bedlam and pranks in only two words!" Sirius said happily._

_"'The Marauders.'" James repeated, a smile on his face, "It does have a certain ring to it, doesn't it?" James said._

_"I like it," I said._

_"Me too, sounds good," Peter said. _

_"And it's all thanks to our __favourite__ Professor, Minerva McGonagall!" Sirius said, "Who would have thought it?" he grinned. _

_"Certainly not me," James said as we walked up a flight of stairs._

_"We can be 'The Marauders: The Magical Mischief Makers'!" Sirius said, holding up his arms and waving them around to emphasize his point. "It sounds brilliant!"_

_It **did** have a nice ring to it…_

All of a sudden time plummeted ahead, and as Sirius finally said ten I scrambled away from the door, he pushed it to check if I was still behind it and it flung open with a loud bang. Sirius and James stood in the open doorway. Sirius looked angry and James had a mixture of disbelief and, this I couldn't believe, something like suppressed excitement on his face.

I stared up at them for a while, then Sirius begun to say something…. "We know what you are… Why the hell didn't you tell us Remus?" Sirius demanded as he towered above me, wand in hand and an unreadable expression in his gray eyes.

"I…I…" I couldn't answer.

"Did you think that you could keep that big a secret from us without us realizing?" James asked.

"I….I… I wo-"

"Did you think we wouldn't work it out sooner or later!" Sirius growled.

"Y…No…I"

"How stupid do you think we are Remus! How could you lie to us like that!"

"I knew you'd desert me…." I stammered.

"What! Remus, we're your friends, we wouldn't do that to you! I thought you knew that by now!" James said.

"I knew you'd be angry with me… you'd hate me," I said.

"Rubbish, the only reason we're angry with you is because you didn't tell us sooner! Not because you're a …werewolf," James said.

I gaped at them.

"You… you mean that you still want to know me?" I asked in disbelief. I couldn't believe what I was hearing; every time someone had found out what I was they completely deserted me…

"Of course we do you thick headed moronic stupid bloody idiot! We _trusted_ you Remus! I've told you everything! How could you keep something this big from us! _How_!" Sirius demanded.

"I… I… I had to," I replied, "I wanted to tell you… hell, there were times when I nearly blurted it out… but I couldn't I thought you'd never want to know me. I was having such a good time at Hogwarts and I didn't want it to end… I didn't want our friendship to end… because for once in my life I had found three true friends… and I belonged…" I babbled.

"Did you really think, that after a year and a half of being friends, we'd desert you!" Sirius demanded angrily.

"…Yes." I admitted.

"You stupid bloody prat," he said, "_Remus_! _We're your_ _friends_! I don't know what the hell friends means in _your_ vocabulary but to me it means that people are friends no matter _what_! Even if you _are_ a frickin' werewolf!"

"So you… you still want to be my friend?" I felt my heart rise, "After all this?"

"Of course you idiot," James said.

"Yeah, I've got maniacs for a family, but you guys still wanted to know me!" Sirius said.

"B…But you're not a _werewolf_…" I said.

"It doesn't matter what I am, or what you are, hell, who cares if you turn into a murderous monster once a month! I wouldn't even care if you had antennas sprouting out of your nose for Merlin's sake! You're still _Remus_! And we made friends with Remus Lupin!" Sirius said.

"R…Really?" I asked disbelievingly.

"Yes you git!" Sirius replied.

"Look Remus we're still your friends – although I _do_ hope you don't sprout antennas out of your nose anytime soon," James grinned.

"Really?" I asked again.

"Of course you moron. Do we have to imprint it on your bloody forehead until you get that we still want to be your friends?" Sirius replied.

I let out a small laugh, "I just didn't think that you'd want to know me if you knew about it…" I said.

"God Remus, after a whole year you'd think that you'd have worked out that we're genuine friends," James said. I gave a weak laugh.

"You mean… you won't tell anyone?" I asked.

"Yes, we're going to tell _everyone. _We'll spread it around the school, we'll hand out little pamphlet's saying 'Danger: Remus Lupin is a werewolf'," Sirius said sarcastically.

I guess I could trust them.

"So you're not… scared…?" I asked.

"No, not really. Remus, we know that right now you can't hurt us, we know that you can control yourself. It's only at the full moon when we should be scared." James answered.

I nodded.

"I just can't believe you didn't tell us," Sirius said as he slid down onto the floor next to me, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Sorry…" I said meekly.

Sirius hit me upside the head, "You'll be more than sorry if you _ever_ keep anything like that from us again!" he warned.

Finally he grinned.

I felt relief and utter joy flood through me. So Sirius and James still wanted to be my friends, after everything, after I had lied to them, they still would be my friends.

"Where's Peter?" I asked.

"He's down in the common room. He went sort of weird when we figured it out. I don't know," James said.

I nodded. So Peter was… _scared_. I gulped. I felt a strange lump in my throat. Of course he would be scared. Who wouldn't be? I don't know why I expected him not to be, now that James and Sirius weren't scared. I felt tears at the back of my eyes. _Get a hold of yourself Remus. Boys don't cry. You've been accepted by Sirius and James. What more do you want? _

"What's wrong Remus?" James asked, staring at me concernedly.

"What… oh… nothing. It's nothing. It's nothing," I murmured.

"So… How did it happen? I mean, your bite?" Sirius asked, trying to change the subject. He looked uncomfortable.

I hesitated, I'd never told anyone except for Dumbledore, but I ought to tell them, so I launched into the story of how I was bitten and how mum and dad tried to find a cure but couldn't and how Dumbledore let me into Hogwarts as long as we took certain precautions…

"So _all_ the teachers know?" Sirius asked incredulously after I had finished my story.

"Yes, I think so," I replied.

"So _that's _why Crevan and Slade are right arses to you in Potions?" James asked.

"Yes… I guess so…" I replied.

"_Or_ it could be the fact that he can't actually _brew_ Potions for shite…" Sirius let out a barking laugh.

I couldn't help but grin widely and breathe out in relief – it felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I could finally talk to my friends about my condition and they wouldn't desert me for it. My heart fluttered and at that moment I truly felt happiness.

It felt like, for once in my life, I had the best friends in the entire world.

**

* * *

****Author's Notes: **Hmm. Well. There you go. It's revealed. This is only my version of the revealing of Remus' secret, I'm sure you all have your own versions on how it was revealed but well, all I'm asking is that you take mine into consideration a moment and well… that's all really. (I have a feeling there's going to be lots of opinions on this…) I just hope you enjoyed it. Love you all. (Now you've got nothing to bug me about! Hah!) 

**Ashe Nightingale: **Thanks very much, glad you reviewed! Well its not so hard trying to make Peter appear likeable, I just try not to think about what he's done and focus on him just being a kid.

**XMissxUnderstood: **Thanks very much! I really do hope you liked this chapter though! Now… about that Sirius on top… (hehehehe)

**Hannanora Potter: **Hahahahhahahah, loved the mental image of James trying to wipe Sirius on the couch, now that is definitely something only the marauders would do! Hi-larious! Thanks for that lil bit on apostrophes, yes people will probably stop using them because we're getting lazier and lazier, hell, who needs two s' when you can use one? Heh. I'm glad you liked Peter, yes, he can be sweet too, not just evil! No I didn't get the idea of the honking daffodils from Hook, actually I got it from HP, when Lavender and Parvarti give Trelawnley daffodils because she's upset but they don't give her the honking kind or something. Hehe, I'm glad you liked the prank, and James and Peter trying to ward off evil spirits, that was one of my favourite parts! Hehe. Thanks for the compliment about my pranks! Its always hard trying to think up pranks, especially ones that MWPP would come up with! Thanks very much for all your reviews, I do appreciate it!

**Elvengirl9: **Thanks! Yes, some ff writers portray James as a Chaser and Seeker (not at the same time), I'm thinking of doing that, but I don't know. Sorry about the no Remus thing in the other chap, but this one makes up for it, doesn't it? And the next two chaps as well…

**PotterManiacGirl: **Thanks very much! Well I'll keep that in mind (the Russell Williams thing) ;)

**Trovia: **Well thanks very much for taking the time to review now, I do appreciate it! I don't know about Sirius making the team at some point, a lot of ff writers see him as beater too, I think he would make a good beater too, but I'm not sure at this point. Well you can only wonder! Thanks very much again for your review:-D

**BrennQT: **Thanks very much! Ah, Lily's not that bad… well maybe she was having a bad day or something, I don't think James minds though, he just likes to annoy her. Well there was a bit of Sirius in that chapter, but there's more of him in this one, so. Thanks again!

**Insanewelshangel: **Thanks so much! I really do appreciate it!

**LupinLover88: **Thanks very much for rereading the fic and reviewing it as well! Yay! Now that shows dedication! Seriously, I really do appreciate it along with all your comments! Thank you so much!

**Miss Penny: **Hmm well yes the Seeker/Chaser thing is confusing, but JK said he was a Chaser in an interview, so I'm going by that until she strictly says something else! Thanks for reviewing!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Thank you very much!

**Visualpurple: **Heh, well that's good! I might try and see if I can slip the star thing in somewhere, I have no idea where yet though! Sorry I haven't written back to your email yet, but I have been thinking about it! As to name ideas, mostly I search the net for names and write down the ones I like in a document, I have a whole collection of them now! Thanks for your review:-D

**Janet Lily: **Yes you did find out about Slade, but shh, don't tell anyone else or it'll ruin it! Well I was thinking of putting Sirius in tryouts as a Beater, but I thought, well Quidditch is James' thing, maybe Sirius will try out next time, I'm not sure. Thanks for the review!

**Themaniacsisters: **Thanks very much! And thanks very much for your patience!

**Thehpgang: **Well I'm glad the updates are spontaneous, it makes it more fun that way, don't you think! Heh. Otherwise you know when to expect it. Expect the unexpected. ;) Yes I can understand what you mean about Quidditch, I don't really like reading (or writing) about it either, but well, it was part of their lives. Thanks very much for your review :-)!

**Erica: **Hehe, yes it would be great if James' logic worked in the real world, wouldn't it? But then, imagine how crazy the world would be if everything was based on James' logic. Remus would go crazy, methinks. Then again, James' logic is probably better than Sirius'. Now I'm rambling. Anyway, glad you liked Lily in the chap. Thanks very much!

**Unforgettable: **Thanks very much! Your wish is my command!

**Parvarti-2: **Thank you very much:-D

**Lady Deathstrike: **Aw thank you so much for your great review! I'm really glad you like it! Thank youuuuuu:-D

**Beansie: **Hehe, well I'm glad you did review! Its okay, I understand, I'm lazy too when I think about. (Actually, I don't really need to think about it). Now what's this about intermissions? I said what now? I can't remember that… (not a very good memory here). I'm eighteen actually, and yes, I'm at university. Thanks very much for not being lazy and reviewing! Yay:-D


	31. James and Sirius' Stupid Idea

**Year 1972, 2nd Year**

**Remus Rants:**

**Quote of the Day:** _"Whoever says friendship is easy has obviously never had a true friend!"_

About two weeks after Sirius, James and Peter found out about my secret Sirius practically bounded through the portrait hole of the Gryffindor common room one night with a look of uncontrollable excitement on his face. He beamed at me as he made his way over to where I was sitting by the fire. James had followed him through the portrait hole, both of them had a mixture of anticipation and utter happiness on their faces and James was holding a thick book.

"We've had an idea!" James said gleefully, as Sirius and James sat down in chairs beside me.

"That'd have to be a first," I teased as I put down my quill.

I was feeling extremely happy these days. In fact I felt the best I ever had ever since I'd been bitten by the werewolf, and it was all thanks to my friends. Now I wouldn't have to keep anything from them. I could share with them what I had never shared with anyone, and they wouldn't abandon me for it. I still felt a little uneasy, because the full moon was tomorrow night.

Despite the feeling of happiness, I also felt sad and rejected at Peter's reaction. In the past few weeks Peter had been distant to me. He jumped whenever I talked to him and always avoided my gaze. Every time we were in class he moved as far away from he as he possibly could. I hadn't had a steady conversation with Peter for what seemed like weeks.

It all came down to one thing.

He was scared of me.

Maybe even disgusted.

I had seen the fear in his eyes whenever he looked at me.

James and Sirius either didn't notice this change in Peter because they were too caught up with discovering my secret, or they didn't worry about it.

Peter seemed to take me being a werewolf the worst. He probably felt betrayed – and he had every right to. So I tried to talk to him – to explain, but every time I tried he paled and made up excuses to get away.

I missed not being able to talk to Peter properly. I missed our nightly talks about anything, about our homes, about life, about Hogwarts. I missed Peter's friendship. It saddened me, because I knew Peter was scared of me and he felt betrayed.

James' voice interrupted my thoughts, "Ha ha very funny, seriously, we've got a brilliant idea!" he grinned at me.

"That's great James," I replied absent-mindedly.

"Well?" Sirius demanded expectantly.

"Well what?" I asked.

"Don't you want to know what it is?" Sirius asked abruptly.

"Quite frankly: No. But I have a fleeting idea that it _could_ have something to do with pranking the Slytherins," I replied.

"Is that all you think we're capable of Remus? Jeez, here we are trying to help you out and you think we have the brain capacity of a two year old," Sirius joked.

I laughed, "Well it wouldn't be surprising."

Sirius pouted, "Very funny. No, we have a brilliant idea – _really_!" Sirius assured me, noticing the sceptical look on my face.

"Okay, tell me your idea then," I said. I wondered what it would be this time. Pouring buckets of water over the whole school? Letting doxies out all over the Great Hall?

"We were going to tell you whether you liked it or not," Sirius said.

"Well tell me then," I replied, getting impatient.

"Well, I've been thinking," James said, "you know, about you being a were-"

"Not so loud!" I implored, and glanced around to see if anyone was listening, luckily they were all conversing between themselves. I caught Peter's eye. Quickly he turned away.

"Yeah well about your _condition_, and a great thought struck me, so I went to the library," I snorted, James in the library? That was a very rare sight to see, "Shut up and let me finish. _Anyway_, I went to the library to check it out, and turns out we might be able to do it!" James finished gleefully.

What was he talking about? Can do what? He wasn't making any sense at all. I wondered where this was leading.

"Do what?" I asked, confused.

"Be with you when you transform of course!" Sirius said finally, bursting with excitement.

"That's impossible," I said abruptly.

"No it isn't!" Sirius replied.

"How could you be with me? I'd bite you," I said. What were they playing at? Surely they couldn't have thought of a way to be with me.

"Not if we were _animals_, werewolves don't bite _animals_, only humans," James said, grinning stupidly.

"What so you're telling me you can turn into a bloody animal now?" I asked, thinking the impossible.

"Not _yet_," James grinned.

"What do you mean 'not yet'?" I asked warily. If you knew James and Sirius you'd know how stupid and reckless half their ideas, (scratch that – _all _of their ideas), were and this one seemed to be no exception, "how are you meant to turn into animals?" I raised my eyebrows.

Then it hit me…

"_Animagi,_" Sirius said significantly.

"_What_? You don't mean…." I trailed off, surely they weren't thinking of doing _that_? It was downright… _absurd_… _impossible… stupid… illegal…_so many words sprang to mind…

"That's _exactly _what we mean," James said.

"Are you two _absolutely_ _mental_?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, James – yes, me – no," Sirius grinned.

"You must be off your rocker," I confirmed.

"Remus, just listen to us for a moment will you!" James asked pleadingly, guessing that I was about to reject their idea straight away.

"No." I said instantly, "You aren't doing something so stupid. And that's that." I said stubbornly.

"You haven't even heard us out yet!" Sirius replied, exasperated.

"I don't _need_ to hear you out. I know what you want to do and I'm not letting you. _Absolutely not_."

"Yes, mumsie. Seriously Remus, just hear us out okay," James said.

"No. Don't you get it? _No._ I'm not letting you take that risk, you have to be mental if you think that you can do this, you _aren't_ going to try, so just drop it, and anyway even if you did -"

Sirius ignored me and cut me off, " – So, we've got this idea, and that is, to become Animagi that way we could be with you when you transform and keep you in check so you don't hurt anyone."

"Sirius," I said warningly, "I. Said: _No_. N-O. Now get over it and shut up about it."

"Remus, sometimes you're just so stubborn! Now listen to us; haven't you ever wanted someone there with you when you transform?" Sirius asked, looking me in the eye.

_Well_… I had to admit it. That _was _true. That was one of the things that I've always wanted. Not to spend those long painful nights in solitude. Yes, he _was _right. I _did _want someone there. But no. I _couldn't _take that risk. I _wouldn't _take it.

"Yes, but-"

James cut me off, "Haven't you ever wanted to spend those painful nights with your friends instead of being caged up in a shack all night?" he asked.

"Well if I-"

"Haven't you ever felt that you _needed _your friends with you?" Sirius said, ignoring me again.

This was all true. But I would never risk my friends' lives just for a bit of company. That was too much of a risk.

I closed my eyes and gathered my thoughts before going on, "Sirius," I said bracingly, "becoming an Animagus takes _years_ to do, and even if you _do_ manage it, it can go horribly wrong, and you don't even know _how _to do it," I said.

"That's why we've got this book and we're going to find many others as well," James indicated the thick looking book that was lying on his lap. He flicked through the book until he came to the right page.

"Where'd you get that from?" I asked, eyeing the book.

"Library, duh," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I know that, but surely Pince wouldn't have just let you borrow it out," I said.

"It was in the Restricted Section, James got it in the Invisibility Cloak," Sirius explained.

I shook my head; James and Sirius were always wandering about the school after curfew causing havoc.

"Listen, you are not going to do this," I said, "look what can happen if something goes wrong, I mean, you don't want to end up looking like _that,_" I pointed to a diagram in the book. It was an illustration of a human with what looked like giant pincers sticking out of the man's body and a tail had sprouted out of his head, his body was covered in scaly like skin. The caption underneath it read: '_Animagi are very hard to achieve and can go horribly wrong, as shown above. True Animagi forms can only be achieved by highly skilled wizards, and even so it is subject to caution_…'

"Oh come on Remus, we're top in Transfiguration, I'm _sure_ we'll be able to do it," Sirius said after he had read the caption underneath the diagram, "James' wand is built for it."

James nodded vigorously.

"Being top in Transfiguration doesn't mean that you're geniuses! You're only young! Most wizards who become Animagi are skilled and know what they're doing," I said, trying to persuade them out of it. But when Sirius or James have an idea stuck in their head it is _very _hard to get it out again, and even harder to persuade them _not_ to do it. Especially Sirius.

"So? I'm sure with a lot of practice we could get it," James said.

"Even if you _did_ miraculously get it, becoming unregistered Animagi is _illegal_," I stressed the last word.

"Since when has that stopped us from doing anything?" Sirius asked with a sly grin and a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Sirius – this isn't just some school rule! It's a Ministry of Magic _law_; you can get into serious trouble for something like that!" I said.

"God Remus, you sound scarily like my mother, anyway, what they don't know can't hurt them," James grinned.

I threw my arms up in exasperation. They just didn't get it. They never thought of the dangers involved, of the consequences, something horrible could go wrong and they didn't understand that. They thought they were clever enough to pull off something like this, something that could only be achieved by highly experienced wizards. I didn't want them getting into serious trouble at my expense, _although_… it would be alright to have some company on those horrible nights… The thought _was _very tempting.

"Come on Remus, we're doing this for _you_, we just hate the way that you have to go through this by yourself, we want to _help_ you, isn't that what friends are for?" Sirius asked, looking me in the eye.

"Yes, but I don't want you to get into trouble, and something is _bound_ to go wrong!" I said.

"_Nothing _will go wrong, and no one will find out about it if we're careful," James reassured me.

"James, I'm not letting you do it okay? End. Of. Conversation." I said firmly, making up my mind. It was one of the hardest things that I've ever had to say, and I can't believe how selfish I felt at the moment I nearly gave in to Sirius' and James' wild idea of becoming Animagi – yes it would be good to have someone there with me on those terrible nights – but I wasn't going to put my friends in that kind of situation. There were too many risks to think about.

James and Sirius groaned in frustration.

"_Re-mus_! _Why not_? Nothing will happen to us!" Sirius said in irritation.

"You don't _know_ that, anything could happen, becoming Animagi is dangerous! Something could go wrong, and I don't want to take that risk! You're. Not. Doing. It. Okay? Get the picture? _End_ of discussion." I replied stubbornly. Sometimes Sirius and James never listened, and never thought of the consequences.

"_Moony_!" Sirius objected.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped. Ever since they had found out about me they started calling me Moony. Sirius had started it and before long they both referred to me as 'Moony', which was very irritating. I didn't need to be constantly reminded of the moon.

Sirius ignored me, "Come on Moony, it's not like you have to do it anyway, we can do it on our own, we won't need your help at all."

"I don't care if you need my help or not. The point is you _can't _do this! It's against every school and Ministry law there ever was not to mention it's extremely dangerous!"

"Remus, just think about it, please?" James asked pleadingly.

"No!" I said flatly, getting irritated, "You're not doing it!"

"We can handle it Remus! We're not stupid you know!" Sirius said loudly, getting angry.

"Sometimes I _really_ do wonder about that Sirius!" I snapped angrily, raising my voice before picking up my books and storming off to the dormitory.

I opened the door to the dormitory and lay down on my bed, covering my face with my hands.

I couldn't believe to what limits Sirius and James were willing to go to just to make my transformations more bearable. I hadn't wanted to snap at Sirius like that, but sometimes you have to just so he gets the point, and even then he still is stubborn about things. I just hoped that James and Sirius wouldn't try to become Animagi behind my back.

Suddenly a sick feeling slid into my stomach like ice.

_What if they **did** try it behind my back?_

They wouldn't. I reassured myself. James and Sirius weren't _that_ stupid. They'd listen to me.

_Wouldn't they?_

They weren't so stupid as to go behind my back now that they knew that I didn't want them to do it. They weren't that stupid.

Or were they? After all Sirius and James seemed keen on the idea when they had first came to me about it, they wanted to do it. What if they really were going to try this? I knew that the idea of becoming Animagi was extremely tempting, especially to Sirius and James. It was like the ultimate challenge for them; if they could do that then they could do anything.

Or so they thought.

Everyone knew how reckless Sirius could be sometimes, and I knew that he was definitely capable of trying something as dangerous as this. I also knew that James would go along with him.

I sat up again and only when I took my hands away from my face did I notice that someone was already in the dormitory.

It was Peter.

He stood there, frozen; the faint moonlight hit his form and cast dark shadows across his panicked face. Suddenly all thoughts of Animagi fled from my mind as I stared at the terrified boy in front of me. It was the first time we had been properly alone together since he had found out about my secret. Somewhere distantly in my mind I realized that had it been any other night we would have been in this very room chatting and laughing together.

Had it been any other night…

"Peter…" I said slowly.

Peter emitted a small whimpering noise.

"Peter, I'm sorry," I said quietly.

He didn't reply, it was as if he was planted to the ground in fear.

"Peter," I tried again, "I… I wanted to tell you… I really did…"

He looked fearfully at me, and a strange expression flashed across his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn-"

Peter cut me off, "Got to go… library, homework, for Potions… bye," he said hastily and bolted out the door. The door slammed behind him and the sudden silence rang in my ears.

I sat there numbly on my bed. I could feel tears prickling at the back of my eyes. No, I wasn't going to cry. I won't. _I won't…_

But I did. I felt salty tears burst from my eyes and run silently down my face. I don't know why I didn't expect this in the first place. Why I didn't expect to be shunned, to be feared. Maybe it was because James and Sirius had accepted me I automatically thought that Peter might find it in his heart to do so as well.

_Things don't work that way Remus. _

My father's comforting voice echoed through my head. No, indeed, things _didn't_ work that way.

Peter was scared. Terrified, in fact. And understandably so. But that didn't make it any easier. I missed Peter's friendship. I missed laughing and eating chocolate frogs with him. Peter hated me, I thought miserably.

Nothing made this easy. An empty feeling settled inside me then. The yearning feeling, the feelings at the loss of a friendship that had only been starting. And it was all my fault. Because I hadn't told him. I had tricked and lied to him.

His pale, terrified face floated through my mind.

I knew what he was feeling, the fear. Fear of a monstrous creature that wanted blood every month.

For I too, was scared of that creature.

* * *

**Insanewelshangel: **Aw thanks SO much! I really appreciate it!

**Ashe Nightingale: **Thanks very much! Aw, you nearly cried? That's touching. Yes it can't all be humorous, just wait until I get to the prank (when Sirius tells Snape about Remus), there won't be even a smidgen of humour there! All angst angst angst. It makes me sad though.

**Delano: **Thanks very much! I'm really glad you thought it was believable, I really wanted it to be and I'm glad you liked the way everything just clicked for Sirius, I think that's how it happened.

**BrennQT: **Aw! Thanks SO much! I'm really glad you liked it, I was hoping you would:-D! I'm really glad you liked the flashbacks and quotes and I'm glad you thought it was realistic, I was hoping it would be, yay! Thanks heaps again!

**Jojo: **Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm really glad you decided to review! I agree with everything you said in your review, that everyone is the same and everyone has the potential to be evil its just what you choose in the end that makes the difference. I totally agree! Thanks very much again for reviewing!

**SilverStar24: **Hehehe, yes 'Merlin's Balls' indeed. Definitely something Mr. Potter would say.

**Mme. Raye: **Hehe, yes the 'Merlin's Balls' things seems to be popping up a fair bit! I suppose the first thing James would say is a swear word! Hehe. Anyway, thanks SO much! Really glad you liked it!

**MutantJediBauer: **Well I'm glad to have you back! Thanks for your review! Yes it is stillbeing updated, (even if I am pretty slow haha). I'm glad you like the way the secret was revealed, and you think its one of the best! Aw! Thanks SO much! Glad you liked the flashbacks, I like them too!

**Tijiya: **Thanks SO much! I really appreciate it!

**Cheezypuff: **Thanks very much! I'm really glad you liked the way it was revealed, and that its original. Its very hard to be original with so many fanfictions about MWPP floating around! Thanks again!

**Padfoot's Mate: **Aw thanks very much! Every review counts:-D I CAN'T believe its nearly up to 600. Its all thanks to my faithful reviewers:-D ! Glad you liked that quote, I found it and it seemed to fit the chap very well.

**Visualpurple: **Thanks very much! Heh, sorry about all the swearing, I suppose they swear a lot more when in situations like that. Thanks very much again!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Thanks very much! I'm so glad that you did like it, and as you said it is such an important part so I didn't want to stuff it up! ;). Well Peter's Prattles will be after this chapter, so never fear, Peter is going to be here! Hehe. I'm glad you liked the way Sirius realized! I'm glad you liked all of it! Yay! Thanks!

**Thehpgang: **Thanks very much! So glad you did like it! Yay! And glad you liked the ending, heh, well we had to have one of them not okay with it, and inevitably it would be Peter. Anyway, thanks very much again!

**Setogirl04: **Hehe, yes Moony's the best, isn't he? He –is- so nice, that's why I love him so! Thanks for reviewing:-D


	32. The Secret Thoughts of Peter Pettigrew

**Year 1972, 2nd Year**

**Peter's Prattle:**

**Quote of the Day: **_I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends_

The weeks that followed Sirius, James and I finding out about Remus were miserable for me. Sirius and James were too caught up in the excitement of Remus being a werewolf to notice my reaction to Remus' secret or they didn't care. I didn't dare hang around Remus because I was scared of him, and I felt betrayed.

I thought back on when Sirius had worked out that Remus was a werewolf. That night everything changed…

_I watched as James and Sirius disappeared up the staircase. I stopped pretending to be busy and sat staring at the Dark Arts book Sirius had just abandoned a minute before. I gazed at the illustration of a werewolf that was looking up at me from the yellowing page with a malevolent glint in its amber eyes. It had snarling razor-sharp yellow teeth, long snapping jaws, a hairy snout, and dangerously sharp-clawed paws._

_A book that I had been holding fell limply from my hands onto the floor. It felt like a million feelings were surging through me. Fear. Shock. Guilt. Shame._

_I couldn't quite grasp at the fact that Remus Lupin, the boy I thought I had known for a whole year, the boy whom I had confided in so many times, the boy whom I had entrusted my deepest thoughts to… was a werewolf. A **werewolf**. A monster that tried to kill humans once a month. Normal humans. Everyday people. People like me. Or James. Or Sirius. Or anyone. He could kill **anyone**._

_I knew that I should have been up in the dormitory with James and Sirius telling Remus that I didn't care about him being a werewolf. But I couldn't. _

_Because I **did** care._

_I knew I shouldn't be feeling this way, but I felt strangely betrayed, I had told him some of my innermost secrets, I had told him my feelings, and he had kept something like this from us. He had kept so much from me. He'd probably dismissed my own secrets for nothing, not caring about them. _

_But now that I did know, I didn't know what to do. Should I go up and talk to Remus? Reassure him that I didn't care about him being a werewolf? Like James and Sirius were doing this very moment? Should I leave the common room? Should I dismiss him as he had so verily had done to me? Should I stay down here and keep away from him?_

_If truth were told, as soon as Sirius had said the words "Remus" and "werewolf" I was scared out of my wits. Remus a werewolf. It seemed so impossible. But yet, it was so right._

_I was scared. Scared that Remus would turn on me, scared that he could try to kill me at the full moon. Scared that something utterly terrible could happen, not just to me, but to Sirius, or James, or to anyone. _

_A thought crossed my mind suddenly, where did Remus go when he transformed? Surely he wouldn't transform in Hogwarts? Or did he? Surely not. There must be somewhere he transformed. But where? And how close was it to Hogwarts? Maybe it was at his parents' place. Maybe he flooed there and back for his transformations. _

_Suddenly another thought hit me. _

_About a year ago a rumour had been going around that there was a house, a shack in Hogsmeade that was inhabited by very violent spirits. That every night around the full moon these spirits would make a racket, they'd scream and rip the place apart. No one ever went in there. It was branded the 'Shrieking Shack' by Hogsmeade villagers. Was this the place that Remus had been transforming in for the past year? It seemed to fit, the rumour had started to circulate a year ago, and Remus came to Hogwarts a year ago…_

I shuddered as the picture of the werewolf floated through my mind once again. Snapping jaws, razor sharp teeth dripping with blood and saliva, thick wiry hair, sleek body, ready to kill at any moment…

Every time Remus came near me I saw that picture. I saw the monster that Remus turned into every month. And not the boy in front of me. I _wanted _to get over my fear of the werewolf but I couldn't.

Of course Remus tried to talk to me, but I avoided him. I was too scared to even look him in the eye for fear of seeing the dark eyes of a werewolf staring back at me. I even had nightmares about it. I dreamt about Remus turning into a huge werewolf, towering over me, saliva and blood dripping from its jaws from its latest kill, ready to clench its huge sharp teeth around me and rip me in half. I woke up in a cold sweat for several nights and the nightmares haunted me constantly.

Every time Remus approached me visions of my nightmares flashed through my mind and I had to get away from him. I was scared out of my wits. Can you imagine being murdered by a werewolf? What's more, a werewolf who was supposed to be your friend? Who you had trusted?

So I avoided Remus; and James and Sirius were too caught up in their discovery to notice anything was wrong.

It was on one of these particularly lonely days when I was sitting out in the courtyard alone one Friday afternoon before dinner that the Slytherins made me the target of their hexes.

I was sitting there, minding my own business, trying to do a bit of homework because I didn't want to be in the common room, when all of a sudden a large shadow was cast over the parchment that I was working on.

I looked up to see Snape, Wilkes, and Rosier - a large third year, standing over me.

"Did poor little Pettigrew's friends desert him?" Snape said, sneering down at me.

"What do you want?" I asked bravely.

"Oh, Pettigrew can actually talk for himself can he?" Rosier said. The other two laughed.

"Look… I'm n…not in the mood okay," I replied. I wish they would all just go away.

"Not in the mood for what Pettigrew? You're not so brave now that Black, Potter and Lupin aren't here to protect you, are you? What, did you're pathetic friends desert you or something?" Snape asked.

"N… No!" I said quickly.

"Well that's what it seems like, doesn't it?" Snape said viciously, "We told you they'd desert you, we told you on the train, and we'll tell you again Pettigrew: They. Don't. Care. About. You." Snape said in a soft whisper.

"They do!" I said.

"If they cared about you so much then where are they? They're not here to rescue you, are they?" Rosier said.

He _did_ have a point.

Sirius, James or Remus weren't here to defend me this time.

"They're busy!" I said.

Wilkes snorted, "Too busy to help out their '_friend'_ are they?"

"I _am _their friend!" I said.

"They're not your friends Pettigrew. They're using you. Now they're not even talking to you, they don't even care about you," Snape said in a low whisper, holding out his wand.

I pulled out my wand also.

I knew what was coming.

Was he right? Did James, Sirius and Remus not care about me? It certainly _seemed _so.

I mentally slapped myself, what was I thinking? Of course they cared about me!

_Didn't they?_

"What, are you going to try and hex us, Pettigrew?" Rosier sniggered, eyeing my wand.

"Just g…go away!" I stammered.

"_Just g…go away_!" Wilkes imitated my voice, somewhat squeakier. "Are you gonna make us?"

"I'm not asking for a f…fight," I replied. I wished that I were anywhere but here. Several people in the courtyard had walked over to see what the fuss was all about.

"Oh you aren't are you? Well we're going to give you one anyway! Pathetic little rat!" Rosier said.

Suddenly Snape raised his wand, and before I could do anything he yelled "_Expilliarmus_!" and my wand flew out of my grasp to land in Rosier's outstretched hand.

"Give that back!" I shouted.

"Shut up!" Rosier said.

I lunged forward, trying to reach my wand.

"Furnunculus!" Snape yelled, pointing his wand at me. Suddenly a horrible feeling came over my face, I put my hands up to my face and felt great big boils suddenly erupting from it. I screamed in horror. The Slytherins laughed wildly.

Suddenly in my confusion and terror, I heard another voice, it sounded angry. Very angry.

It was McGonagall.

"_What's happening here_!" McGonagall had come marching towards us; she strode in between the Slytherins to see what the noise was about.

"Nothing Professor," Snape said innocently.

"It doesn't look like nothing Mr. Snape! What did you do to Pettigrew?" she demanded, looking at me, my hands now covering my face. I could feel the boils growing and welting.

"It's nothing Professor," Rosier said, dropping my wand on the ground.

"Pettigrew. Explain. And take your hands off your face, silly boy," McGonagall said.

I took my hands away from my now boil-covered face and looked up at McGonagall. My face burned.

"Well?" McGonagall asked.

"They… they hexed me, and took my wand," I said, pointing at the Slytherins.

"Right," she said briskly, picking up my wand and handing it back to me, "Hospital Wing, now Pettigrew," she said.

I didn't need telling twice; I ran out of the courtyard, my hands covering my face. I could feel onlookers' eyes boring into the back of my head, could hear their suppressed laughter, and the Slytherins sniggering.

I ran all the way to the Hospital Wing. When I arrived Madam Pomfrey made me sit upon a bed. My face felt like it was on fire; it was one of the most horrible feelings I'd ever felt. A complaining Madam Pomfrey forced some disgusting liquid down my throat and told me to stay where I was.

"Those boils take a while to go down, I suggest that you stay here for the night Mr. Pettigrew," Madam Pomfrey said as she closed the curtains around my bed and made her way to her office.

I drew my legs up upon the bed and put my hands up to my face. I could still feel the boils there. My face still burned slightly, but it wasn't as bad as before.

I had never been so humiliated in my life; never had I wished so much as at that moment that the ground would swallow me whole.

The Slytherins, though nasty, had in some way been right. James, Sirius or Remus weren't there to protect me that time. I had no one to stand up for me against the Slytherins, that's why they did it. Because there was no one there to protect me. I wondered if this was one of the reasons that I became friends with Sirius, James and Remus. Was it so that they would always protect me? And was this such a bad thing?

These same thoughts flew through my mind, making me more miserable than before.

_'They're not your friends Pettigrew. They're using you. Now they're not even talking to you, they don't even care about you' _

Snape's words echoed through my mind.

_'They don't even care about you'_

_Did_ they care about me? A small seed of doubt, the same seed of doubt I had felt on the train when the Slytherins had told me the same thing earlier this year, slipped into my stomach. I felt tears slowly running down my cheeks. I was miserable.

Suddenly I felt a surge of anger at myself. Anger because I couldn't even stand up for myself. Anger because I needed people stronger than me to stick up for me and protect me. Anger because I had just realized the eventual truth about myself; the truth that I was weak.

And that the Slytherins had been right.

I sat there thinking about these things as the room grew slowly darker. The full moon outside rose to its fullest. With a sudden jolt of fear I realized that it was the night of the full moon. The night where Remus turned into a monster.

Suddenly, I heard a distant pained sounding howl. I shivered violently as I lay down on the bed.

It struck me that Remus would be turning into a monster right at this very moment.

I don't know for how long I lay in that bed in the Hospital Wing in the dark, but eventually I grew tired and I fell asleep to the haunting sound of the distant howls.

After what seemed like ten minutes but was probably closer to ten hours I was awoken by noises inside the Hospital Wing. My eyes flew open. The weak sunlight shining into the room indicated that it was early morning. I looked around blearily. I could just make out three people moving around, one of them was controlling what looked like a stretcher. The stretcher held a limp looking unconscious figure.

The three people began talking in worried sounding voices. I recognized the voices; it was Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey. They were talking in hushed voices but I could just make out some of the words being said.

"… He's in a bad way I'm afraid Poppy," it was Dumbledore.

"The boy should never have to go through so much," Madam Pomfrey said sadly.

"He has no choice," Dumbledore replied.

"Yes, I know Dumbledore, but he's only young," Pomfrey said.

"Remus Lupin might be only young but he shows a courage and matureness that I've rarely seen in a boy his age," it was McGonagall's voice this time.

_Remus Lupin_!

It was Remus!

_The werewolf._A voice whispered in my head.

_The monster._

The boy lying there on the stretcher was Remus. Remus Lupin. I couldn't quite grasp at this fact. I leaned forward to look through the hangings. I peered through a gap in the drapes to get a better look at the figure on the stretcher.

Instantly I wished that I hadn't.

It certainly _was_ Remus Lupin.

But not the Remus Lupin I knew.

Not the innocent Remus I knew.

I stared at the small figure on the stretcher with widened eyes. Although it sent shivers up my spine I could not look away. Huge nasty looking gashes and bruises covered his pale form. Blood was trickling out of the wounds to dry up on his pale skin. Long, deep claw marks covered his chest and legs. He was wearing ripped and gashed clothes. He looked… broken… battered.

Never had I seen Remus look this way before. Never had I seen Remus Lupin in such a state.

I was horrified.

Sure I had seen him look sickly and pale, but never had I seen him like _this_. As I peered through the drapes at this figure of Remus Lupin all of my feelings of fear, horror, and anything else that I had felt before towards Remus, disintegrated in that moment.

For the first time since I found out what Remus was I didn't see the snarling werewolf with long snapping jaws and malevolent eyes. I saw the boy in front of me. The battered and broken boy lying there helplessly on the stretcher. The almost helpless Remus Lupin. I realized for the first time that Remus couldn't control the wolf inside of him. I realized that Remus and the wolf were two completely different personalities, that the wolf took over on the full moon and Remus could do nothing to prevent it.

And most of all I realized that Remus Lupin was like any other normal boy in the world, he was just as normal as James or Sirius, or anyone, and he _deserved_ to be treated as any other normal person ought to be treated, and that was with friendship and respect. Because the Remus I had made friends with was _not_ a monster, he was the furthest thing from a monster ever. He was just a boy, a simple boy. I felt immense shame at my coldness that I had directed towards him before. He had _never_ deserved to be treated like that from anyone, least of all from _me_.

And that was the moment of true friendship, the moment that I saw Remus for who he really was and the moment that I began to see him as a true, honorable friend very much deserving of _anyone's_ friendship. That was the moment that my true friendship with Remus Lupin had been sealed.

* * *

"R…Remus?" I asked quietly, edging slowly towards the pale boy's bed. Remus turned his head slowly towards me; his eyes had a blank look in them. It was like he hardly recognized me. Guilt surged through me and ate at my insides – how could I have treated Remus like I had done in the past few weeks? What have I done? Why did I push away one of the best friends that I had ever had? I felt so guilty that I had treated Remus the way I did, he had done nothing to deserve it. Nothing at all.

It was around noon, about five hours after Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore and McGonagall had brought Remus to the Hospital Wing. I had been dozing on and off, unable to fall into a deep sleep. Madam Pomfrey had tended to Remus' wounds and generally he looked a lot better than when he was first brought to the Hospital Wing.

Since I had first seen Remus after his transformation I had wanted to talk to him, to tell him how sorry I was for everything and how I would do anything to make it up to him, and how stupid I'd been. But he'd been asleep all the way through the morning, now however, he was awake. Although he didn't look as bad as before, the bruises and cuts still remained on Remus' body.

"Remus?" I said again hesitantly. I didn't want to disturb him, and I was scared that he wouldn't want to talk to me.

"Oh… Peter." was all he managed.

By now I had made my way over to Remus' bed, I stood beside it looking at him sadly. He still had that strange blank look in his eyes. It seemed as if he didn't have any grasp of what was happening or his surroundings, or he didn't even care.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in an unnatural, raspy voice.

"I… I … my, the… nothing," I said quietly, not wanting to reveal or trouble Remus with my situation.

"Oh."

"Look Remus, I'm… I…" I stuttered, not being able to form words, "I… I am sorry. I'm so so sorry," I uttered finally.

Remus didn't say anything, but looked at the sunlight pouring in from the window. He still had the blank look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. For everything, for me being an idiot," before I could stop myself I started speaking unnaturally fast and knew that I had begun to babble, but Remus needed to hear this and I needed to say it, "I'm sorry for being stupid and being scared of you… I knew that I shouldn't but I was scared of what you could do to me, or to anyone, I didn't see the real you, only the… werewolf, and I'm sorry for… for it. I know that you can't control it, and I know that it takes over you and there's nothing you can do about it, but I didn't realize it at that moment but I know now, I know now, and I know what it does to you, and I'm sorry, I'm really very sorry," I repeated, tears had started to form in my eyes. I looked down at Remus, and noticed that the blank look was slowly fading. The old Remus was coming back, and the old Remus had silent tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry for not realizing it before, and I can understand if you never want to see me again, and if you want you can hex me, because I've been such an idiot these past few weeks, and you _never_ deserved to be treated like the way I treated you, and I can understand if you absolutely hate me, I will understand." I finished, tears now running down my own cheeks.

"Peter," Remus said softly, "of course I don't hate you." his lips curved into a small smile.

I couldn't believe it. At that moment it had been confirmed. Remus Lupin was one of the greatest friends in the world.

"_But_," he said suddenly, "I might take you up on that offer of hexing you," he said.

I stood there in silence, not knowing what to say.

Suddenly Remus started to laugh quietly. I let out a sigh of relief and started to laugh as well, something that felt like I hadn't done in ages. Remus winced painfully at the sudden movement constant laughing required. We sat there laughing until a familiar voice interrupted us.

"You sound like a bunch of pobsquackles!" It was Sirius, followed closely by James.

Remus and I stopped laughing and turned to look at the two boys. Remus held his side.

"Pobsquackles?" James looked at Sirius and raised his eyebrow in amusement.

"Never mind," Sirius said dismissively.

"Haven't seen you laugh in a while Pete," James remarked.

I stared at James and Sirius.

"Come on, Peter, don't tell me you wet your pants over our Remus!" Sirius said, looking at me strangely.

"I…I…" I couldn't reply.

An awkward silence set in between us.

"So, how are you Remus?" James asked quickly, turning his attention to Remus.

"All right… I guess," Remus answered.

"Are you sure?" James asked.

"Y… Yes," Remus answered, suddenly very interested in a patch of sunlight on the bed sheet.

I had a feeling that Remus didn't want to reveal to Sirius and James his true situation. He looked far from all right, and I had seen the gashes and bruises on his body, so I knew better. Yet why Remus wanted to hide this from James and Sirius, two of his best friends, was beyond me.

"You don't look too good," I said quietly.

Remus looked up from the patch of sunlight and gave me a strange, almost warning look, "I'm _fine_, now stop asking."

"Well good," Sirius said immediately, either dismissing the situation or not picking up on it, "because we need you for a prank."

Remus smiled, "is that all I'm useful for?"

"No, but still, we'd like your ideas for a prank," Sirius said.

"Ask nicely," Remus grinned.

"I would like to take this opportune moment my dear friend, to ask whether you would please help James and me with a planned prank that we are planning," Sirius said formally, "as we would like some further input from your vast fountain of knowledge," Sirius added.

"He said _nicely_ Sirius, you didn't have to suck up to him and make yourself sound like a ponce in the process," James said.

Remus and James started laughing; Sirius punched James playfully on the shoulder.

"What about Peter? He has good ideas," Remus said, looking at me.

"Peter can help as well if he wants," Sirius said, his eye fixed on Remus, "come on Moony," Sirius implored.

"What's the magic word?" Remus asked.

"Peacock!" Sirius said randomly.

"Sorry, I can't help you Sirius." Remus replied, grinning.

"Okay, _please_," Sirius said finally.

"Hmm… _okay_ then," Remus gave in.

Sirius gave a whoop and sat down on the edge of Remus' bed. It was a wonder Madam Pomfrey hadn't come rushing in to shoo us out by now.

"So… this is what we were planning,"

Sirius launched into a full explanation of the prank that James and Sirius were planning, which included the Slytherins, bread and other random items.

If there was any indication that everything was normal again it was the planning of pranks.

The Marauders were back in action.

And I with them.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well there you go! I am officially going into hibernation now… Hehe, just joking. HBP comes out on Saturday! Yay! I just hope it doesn't render half of Memoirs uncanon… Oh, and the review count is nearly up to 600! O.O I really cannot believe it, and its all thanks to you guys! So thank you so much for reviewing and reading I really really really REALLY appreciate it!

**Maraudergirl7: **Thanks very much! Yes Peter can be like that, but see now he's realised how stupid he's been!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Heh, well Remus will work it out eventually, I mean, he is very intelligent! Hah, glad you liked James in the library part, it would be a rare sight. Except you wouldn't actually be able to see him seeing as he had the invisibility cloak on. Anyway. Thanks very much!

**The Thief Kuronue: **Aw, thanks very much! I'm very glad you like it, and I'm glad at least someone wants Peter to come back! Yay!

**Beansie**Hehe, yes, I know, so many reviews! Makes me so happy! I cant believe it either! Aw, you cried in the Remus' secret chapter? That's touching! I'm really glad you liked Sirius and the 'Yes, you stupid bloody moronic bloody idiot' part. Hehehe, I like that line! Thanks for pointing out the mistake! I cant believe I didn't notice it, I read the chapter over like 500 odd times! Maybe I will change it… one day, when I can be bothered. ;-D. Glad you loved Chap 31's title! And look! I read your mind; it's a Peter Chapter! Hehe. Nah, I had a Peter chapter written after chap 31 for ages. I'm really glad that you wanted Peter's POV on this though! Thanks SO much again for your awesome review!

**Padfoot's**** Mate: **Thanks very much for your review :-D! Yeah I know, I didn't see it either and I read it over like 500 times! Oh well. I'm really glad you liked the quote! I like it too!

**BrennQT**Heh, yes Remus will definitely warm up to the idea! Glad you liked the chapter, yes S & J are very persistent, and annoyingly so, as I'm sure Remus would tell you! Well I don't think Peter has realised that no ones died, I don't think he's thought about it, he's too caught up in being scared!

**Miss Penny: **Well I really don't know, I guess so because Chasers handle the balls more often than Seekers, but then Seekers have to have excellent reflexes in order to get the snitch at the last minute before it flies away or someone else does. Hmm. Thanks for reviewing!

**Jojo**Thank you very much! I'm really glad you liked it! Yes it is like Remus to say no to the idea, especially if it involves breaking Ministry laws!

**Alora05: **Aw! Thankyou SO much! I really really really really really (I could go on forever doing _this_! ;-D) appreciate it! I'm so glad you think I got them right! Thanks heaps again!

**Kelseymm09: **Thanks very much for reviewing!

**Janet Lily: **Yeah, I don't know why mine wasn't very long, I guess cause that's just how it turned out, but I liked it all the same. I'm glad you liked Sirius counting down. Yes, I think in most FF's Sirius and James ensure that he is a werewolf before confronting him about it, but I think if Sirius discovered like that he'd be too angry and shocked to wait and prove that he is, and plus Remus knew that Sirius knew so the only thing for Sirius to do was go thundering up the staircase, bang on the door and confront him :-D. Thanks very much again!

**The Maniac Sisters: **Aw, it made you cry? Well that's touching. I'm really glad you like it and I will keep it up! Remus will be okay! Thanks very much for reviewing!

**XMissxUnderstoodx**That's okay! I'm glad you are still reviewing though! Hehehe, that's a very interesting idea! (Turning Peter into a pumpkin pasty and feeding him to Snape!) Poor Peter!

**MinorMistake99: **Wow! 5 chapters a night! Well I'm glad you caught up! Yay! I'm glad you want to see what Peter is thinking as well! Thanks very much for your comments and I'm so glad you like the story!

**Erica: **well I'm glad you liked the secret chapter because I got kind of nervous about it too, seeing as a lot was expected of it! Heheh, yes the title 'James and Sirius' Stupid Idea' is asking for something, I like that title! Thanks very much again!

**Anonymous: **Thanks very much, glad you liked it! Yes Moony has made an appearance, yay! But it might take a while for the other nicknames to!

**Rhiawoods**Thanks very much for reviewing! I'm glad you liked how I portrayed Peter, I didn't want to have him as just an idiot because he was a Marauder too, whether we like it or not! Thanks SO much for all your reviews!

**Elvenwolf123321: **Heh, well maybe you will hit 600 if you're (and I'm) lucky! Well I never thought about the sun being in their eyes, oh well, they can always wear sunglasses, haha. Imagine that. I'm really glad you liked that Sirius kept on insulting Remus, I liked that part too. Thanks for your review!

**Ashe Nightingale: **Hehe, yes, there will be a lot of angst in the last years, sixth especially. Well I think Peter did feel a little betrayed because he had shared everything with Remus and Remus in return didn't tell him one of the biggest secrets of his life. Question is, would Peter have _really _wanted to know? I don't think he would have.


	33. Hallowe'en Pranking

**Dedications: **This is dedicated to the lovely **Padfoot's**** Mate/Ela **who hit the 600 review mark! WOOHOOOOO! Thank you so much Ela! I really really REALLY REALLY appreciate your support, reviews, friendship and help. Here's to you Ela:-D :-D :-D

**Year 1972, 2nd Year, October 31st:**

**James Jabbers:**

**A just description of the most irritable Professor Slade:** _'You yellow haired pillocky ponce!'_ Pure gold.

_(And even more satisfying when it's shrieked by a gigantic pumpkin throughout the Great Hall for all to hear.)_

"So, any ideas for the Hallowe'en prank yet?" I asked Sirius, Remus and Peter as I sat down on my bed and flicked through a book indifferently.

It was the nearing the end of October already and Hallowe'en was fast approaching. It had been some weeks after we had found out about Remus and we were back to planning pranks. Even though Remus didn't want us to practice becoming Animagi we were going to anyway. We wanted to be there for him. We told Peter our idea and he insisted that he'd like to be part of it too, so every full moon night we researched Animagi.

"Nope," Remus answered, breaking into my thoughts, "what about you?"

"I don't know either, it has to be something that we haven't done before and something _big_," I replied.

"Like what?" Peter asked.

"I just said I don't know Peter!" I snapped.

"Ugh, I can't think of absolutely anything that would be worth doing," Sirius said, lying back on his bed and covering his face with his hands, "woe is me!"

"What about you, Peter? Thought of any yet?" Remus asked.

"No, not yet," Peter replied.

"How can this be? We all have some sort of… pranker's lapse! Can't _any _of you think of _anything_?" Sirius asked sullenly.

"Nope," I replied. I racked my brain for a prank idea, but none came.

"Well it's going to be a great Hallowe'en if we can't even think of anything to do!" Sirius said sarcastically.

"How about turning everyone's robes a different colour?" Peter suggested.

"That's been done about a million times before, we need something original Pete. Something _new_," I replied.

"How about transfiguring everyone's heads into pumpkins?" Sirius said wildly.

"We're just learning to transfigure pincushions into hedgehogs Sirius! That's _far_ too advanced," Remus said.

"James, _you_ could do it," Sirius said looking over at me, "you're good at Transfiguration. It'd be easier than trying to become Ani," I widened my eyes at Sirius, who had realized what he was saying, "to- to become _an_ Icklebog! An Icklebog I meant."

Remus eyed Sirius strangely. "What the heck is an Icklebog?" he asked.

"Never mind. Anyway, James you could transform everyone's heads into pumpkins couldn't you?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"Oh yeah, and while I'm at it why don't I turn you into a slug?" I joked.

"It was just a suggestion," Sirius said grumpily.

"I can't transfigure people's heads into pumpkins, and even if I could it would take ages and I'd need help," I said.

"Oh but couldn't you imagine it, the Great Hall filled with pumpkin heads, it'd be so _funny_! They'd be head butting each other constantly. I can see it now," a dreamy look came into Sirius' eyes, then after a while he raised his hands in the air, "Imagine Snivellus! 'Snivellus: The Great Greasy Pumpkin Brain.'" Sirius mused.

At this point both Remus and I rolled our eyes. Sirius was known for his wild ideas and far-fetched fantasies.

"Shut up Sirius." Remus said.

"Why don't _you _two think of something then if you think you're so good? Eh?" Sirius asked, looking over to Remus and I, "Me and Pete thought up things already, but _no_, they're not good enough for Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin _are_ they?" Sirius said.

"Shut up Sirius," I said.

"Hmm, how about we dress up as something really scary and scare the daylights out of people?" Remus suggested.

"That's just dumb Moony," Sirius replied.

"Why? And don't call me 'Moony'!"

"Because, they'd know it was us and it's a dumb idea anyway," Sirius said, Remus poked his tongue out at Sirius. "James? What about you, you haven't suggested anything yet."

"I'm thinking," I replied.

"That'd be a first," Sirius laughed.

Suddenly a great idea hit me. It was perfect.

"I have it! I have an idea!" I said enthusiastically.

Remus, Sirius and Peter looked at me in anticipation. I cleared my throat, ready to announce my great idea. I opened my mouth, and suddenly, out of nowhere, I hiccoughed. And it was not just any hiccough; it was the loudest hiccough that I've ever done.

Sirius, Remus and Peter burst out laughing.

"Great plan James!" Sirius chortled, "That'd be the best idea that I've ever heard!"

"Shut up," I said loudly, as Sirius, Peter and Remus continued laughing.

Finally, when they had stopped laughing Remus asked, "so what _was _your plan then?"

"Well, it involves the jack o' lanterns," I said grinning.

"Oh." Sirius said disappointedly, "how boring."

"Sirius, just let him explain before you go and call it boring," Remus glanced at Sirius then continued, "what _about_ the jack o' lanterns James?" he asked.

"Well…" I went on to explain my plan.

There was one thing for sure: this Hallowe'en would be a night to remember.

* * *

As Hallowe'en got nearer Sirius, Remus, Peter and I got more and more excited. There was always an air of definite anticipation before a big prank. And this one was the first big prank of our second year. So it was definitely exciting for us.

Meanwhile lessons went on as normal – unfortunately. There was still no sign of Professor Crevan and we were beginning to wonder exactly where he had gone – Sirius definitely didn't give a toss about it, but I'd much rather Crevan teach us Potions than the nasty (_that_ was an understatement) Professor Slade.

Slade had been filling in for Crevan for nearly a month now and I don't think I could stand him for much longer. The whole school had learnt to hate him with a passion; every class that came from his classroom came out cursing and wishing that Crevan was back. Even the Slytherins hated him. Which was amazing. There was something very familiar about the name Slade, but neither I, nor Sirius, Remus or Peter had figured it out yet. It was constantly nagging and nagging me but I could not, for the life of me, remember where I had heard the name before.

The day of Hallowe'en came quite quickly and Sirius, Remus, Peter and I were sitting outside in the courtyard waiting for the time when we were to prepare for the prank.

"Hey, remember last Hallowe'en? How the Slytherins had tried to get us in trouble?" Sirius remembered. I did remember it well. It was Hallowe'en, not long before the feast, we were sitting in this very spot and a bunch of Slytherins had came up to us and told us some crackpot story about a Headmaster who went on a murdering rampage in medieval times and killed all the students. We didn't believe them, and somehow they had made us go into the forest to prove that it wasn't true. Ah, the days when we were gullible. Anyway, we went in the forest, found nothing but Hagrid and his oversized slobbery dog, and when we came back out McGonagall was waiting for us. The Slytherins had told her that we went into the forest and had set us up. Luckily for us Hagrid covered for us and we got out of trouble – much to the Slytherins chagrin as they were probably trying to get us expelled.

I remembered the crazy story they had told us and wondered who they'd try and tell it to this year. Instantly something hit me.

_Slade_! I knew where I had heard that name before! Haviar Slade was what the Slytherins had called that Headmaster that supposedly murdered the students on Hallowe'en! _Slade! _

I told this to Sirius, Remus and Peter.

"I know where Slade is from!" I said, wide eyed at my discovery.

"Transylvania?" Sirius snorted.

"No you idiot! I know where we've heard that name before!" Remus, Sirius and Peter gave me blank looks, "_Haviar Slade!" _I said significantly.

"Caviar Slade?" Sirius raised his eyebrows skeptically, "Who would name their kid after fish eggs?"

"Not Caviar you idiot – _H_aviar Slade!" I replied impatiently.

"Who's that?" Peter asked.

I rolled my eyes, "That's the name of that Headmaster the Slytherins told us had murdered all the students on Hallowe'en in medieval times, last year!" I said.

Comprehension dawned on their faces.

"So _that's _where we've heard Slade before!" Peter said in disbelief.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Professor Slade was planning to do the same thing," Sirius said bitterly, "he _does_ seem like the type to murder all the students."

"Oh yes Sirius, I'm sure Dumbledore hired a mass murderer to teach us Potions," Remus said sarcastically.

"Well, he _did _hire a vampire to teach us Astronomy," Sirius said.

Remus rolled his eyes, "Professor Philomena is _not _a vampire!" he told Sirius for what felt like the thousandth time.

Sirius had this wild conspiracy theory that Professor Philomena was a vampire because she's pale, only appears at night, hardly ever goes to the Great Hall for feasts, she sometimes appears out of nowhere and she's got freaky eyes – according to Sirius. But he thought it was cool even if she was a vampire because she showed him that Sirius was a star at the start of the year. (As we have been hearing for the past ten thousand days).

"She _could _be!" Sirius replied, "Have you ever seen her walk in sunlight?" he asked.

But before Remus could retort, a voice came from behind us.

"Enjoying the sunshine are we boys?"

It was Professor Philomena.

I would have burst out laughing right there and then if it there had not been a teacher there. Sirius looked up at her in disbelief. Remus gave an I-told-you-Philomena-wasn't-a-vampire look to Sirius.

"Yes, lovely sunshine isn't it?" Sirius recovered quickly.

"I quite agree Mr. Black," Philomena said, "Although I do rather prefer the darkness of night," Sirius gave a significant look to Remus, who rolled his eyes.

"Yes, the night is lovely as well – say… Professor… do you like garlic by any chance?" Sirius asked.

Remus shot Sirius an exasperated look.

"Hmm, not particularly, it leaves quite a bad smell on the hands – don't you think?" Professor Philomena looked down at us, "and why did you want to know that?" she raised an eyebrow at Sirius.

"Oh, I'm er – doing a survey on the teachers about their - er – food preferences," Sirius replied quickly.

I stifled my laughter.

"Very well then," Professor Philomena said and then walked off.

"_There's_ your proof!" Sirius said to Remus as soon as she was out of earshot.

Remus snorted, "Funny that, I've never heard of a vampire being able to walk in sunlight."

"She probably knows some spell that enables her to walk in bright light!" Sirius replied, "Think about it – she doesn't like garlic – probably can't get near the stuff – she prefers the night and she just popped up behind us like that!" Sirius clicked his fingers significantly.

Remus rolled his eyes, "A lot of people don't like garlic – it doesn't automatically make them a vampire, she's an Astronomy teacher so it's no surprise that she prefers the night, and she walked up behind you while you were too busy blabbering to notice," Remus listed.

"You're such pragmatist Moony," Sirius drawled.

"Well I have to be with you around," Remus replied.

"Anyway, we were _talking_ about _Slade_!" I said impatiently, they had all forgotten about it as soon as I mentioned it!

"What about him?" Peter said.

"Only the fact that he's got the same name as that mass-murderer!" I replied.

Remus rolled his eyes at me, "James – think about who told us that story – the _Slytherins_ – they lie straight through their teeth – they probably thought the name up, or knew Slade and used his name because he reminded them of an evil Headmaster."

Sirius was right.

Remus _was_ sucha pragmatist.

"You _are _such a pragmatist." I replied.

"Don't tell me you honestly think that Haviar Slade and Aurek Slade are related somehow?" Remus raised an eyebrow. Aurek was Professor Slade's first name; we had heard Professor McGonagall address him as such.

"Well it's just a _huge_ coincidence – isn't it?" I said, "Haviar Slade – Aurek Slade, same last name, both evil, both from Slytherin no doubt," I compared.

"The Slytherins just made up Haviar Slade to scare us! It's a Hogwarts myth," Remus replied impatiently.

"Yes, but _they share the same last name_," I replied significantly.

"A lot of people share the same last name," Remus pointed out, "Lily shares the same last name with that sixth year Hufflepuff – does that mean they're related? No it doesn't," Remus pointed out.

"Yes but 'Evans' is a very common name," I said, "I've never heard 'Slade' anywhere else before," I said.

"Believe what you want but Slade is _not _related to some fictitious mass murderer," Remus replied with an air of finality and with that he started to pluck the grass while Sirius snorted and said "Helping Hagrid with a bit of gardening are you?"

* * *

"Have you got your Invisibility Cloak?" Sirius asked as we hurried back up to the castle. We had spent the rest of the afternoon arguing over our various theories and were so caught up in them that we hadn't noticed what time it was – we had lost five minutes of vital pranking time.

"Yes," I replied, checking that it was still under my robes as we entered the Entrance Hall.

Sirius chuckled, "I can't wait."

Neither could I, I thought, as we entered the Great Hall to find Professor Flitwick putting the finishing touches on the decorations. I looked around the Great Hall; there were heaps of jack-o-lanterns floating above the tables, the candles inside them fluttering. Groups of live bats were fluttering around the hall and flaming orange streamers streamed across the enchanted starry ceiling.

"You're here early boys," Professor Flitwick said after he finished floating the last pumpkin into the air.

"We can't wait for the feast," Sirius replied with a grin.

We were planning to eat very early so that when we did our prank people would still be eating.

"Well I hope you're not going to get up to any mischief," he eyed us with a chuckle.

"Of _course_ not Professor!" Sirius said with all the charm he possessed.

"I hope not Mr. Black! The last time you did it was absolute chaos," Professor Flitwick said, "Now I must go change for the feast," he said before hurrying out of the hall.

"He'll know it was us now," Peter said as we sat down at the table, waiting for the food to arrive.

"Yeah, but I don't think he'll say anything, Flitwick's cool like that," Sirius replied. I nodded, last time we had asked Flitwick how to do a certain charm he had an inkling that it was to cause mischief but he taught us the charm anyway because he was happy that we wanted to actually learn something.

"Ah! _Food_!" Peter said delightedly as the tables began to fill with mountains of food, and he instantly begun to pile his plate. The house elves had cooked with their usual extravagance on Hallowe'en; there was every food imaginable and heaps of baskets of lollies.

Sirius and I began to pile our pockets with as much lollies as we could so we would have time to eat them later instead of wasting time eating them here. Remus, predictably, was grabbing handfuls of every different kind of chocolate and shoving them into his pockets happily.

After our pockets were bulging we began to eat as quickly as we could as the hall filled up around us.

"I fis fe din't 'ave oo weav' 'eely" Sirius said, his mouth full of food. Even I, who was very experienced in Sirius talking with his mouth full, could not tell what he had just said.

"Fot?" I asked Sirius, chewing on a large piece of steak.

"I said," Sirius swallowed, "I wish we didn't have to leave early," and with that he began shoveling more food into his mouth. I nodded; I wished the same, but there was pranking to be done.

Once we had finished we stood up and made sure the teachers saw us walking out of the hall. Once we were outside I slipped the Invisibility Cloak over the four of us.

"Are you ready?" I asked Sirius, Remus and Peter as I pulled out my wand.

They all nodded.

"Time for mischief then," Sirius grinned and he pulled out his wand as we walked back into the Hall and pointed our wands at the jack-o-lanterns.

Instantly the pumpkin heads that we had enchanted came floating down and hovered above the student's heads, they gave loud cackles and began to chase the occupants of the hall around.

Soon we had enchanted all of the pumpkins and they were flying around the hall chasing screaming students around with loud cackles, and yelling '_I'm going to get yooooooouu!'_ whilst gnashing their mouths together wildly. They looked quite sinister for something as innocent as pumpkins. Now you must remember that these jack-o-lanterns were not ordinary jack-o-lanterns, they were specially grown by Hagrid and ranged from the size of small tables to garden sheds.

Sirius, Remus, Peter and I all burst out laughing as we watched the hilarious scene in front of us. After all, it wasn't everyday you got to watch crazy pumpkin heads the size of garden sheds chase your classmates around while they screamed and ran into each other. Overhead the bats flew around in distress and collided with the pumpkin heads in a flurry of feathers.

Sirius, who always took pictures of our pranks, pulled out his camera and snapped some shots whilst guffawing with laughter.

The best pranks were the ones pulled in the Great Hall at dinner on the whole school. They were just classics.

I watched with vindictive pleasure as a pumpkin flew after a furious Professor Slade while yelling '_Come heeeere you yellow haired pillocky ponce!'_

It was pure gold.

"Quick! Take a picture of Slade!" I said to Sirius, laughing my head off.

Sirius grinned gleefully and took a picture of Slade running away from the sinister pumpkin. I watched as Professor Slade stopped running and turned around to face it, holding out his wand. But before he could stupify it another pumpkin came up behind him cackling madly and smashed into his behind with a loud CRASH!

If it was funny before it was nothing compared to this, I clutched my stomach as I guffawed loudly watching the pumpkin crash into Slade's backside. Instantly Slade was knocked off his feet by the pumpkin and landed face down on the stone floor. The students had all witnessed this hilarious incident and despite the pumpkins chasing them a loud round of laughter rang out through the hall as Slade went red with fury. Sirius, meanwhile, was snapping pictures every five seconds.

"We better go before someone finds us!" Remus whispered frantically when he had stopped chortling. Even Remus, who didn't particularly like to play pranks on the teachers, found it highly amusing to see Slade being attacked by a giant pumpkin.

Sirius nodded and with one last look we saw some of the teachers Stupifying the pumpkins, we ran out the door and up the marble staircase to the Gryffindor tower, laughing all the way there.

"_That _is an absolute _classic_!" Sirius snickered as we fell onto our beds in the dormitory, "Slade the Great Pumpkin Butt!" Sirius burst out laughing, tears leaking out of his eyes, followed by the rest of us.

"Those pumpkins were awesome!" Peter chortled as he bit into a chocolate frog.

Sirius nodded, clutching his stomach and laughing as he emptied his pockets. Mountains of lollies spilled out onto the bed.

I emptied my pockets onto my bed and began to eat.

"I can't wait to get this film developed!" Sirius said, pulling his camera out of his pocket, "The pictures are _definitely _going on The Wall!" he chortled, looking at the far wall of the dormitory.

I followed his gaze and looked at The Wall.

The concept of The Wall had all started in first year somewhere after Christmas after Sirius had received a camera from his Uncle Alphard, he used the camera to photograph the craziest, stupidest and funniest moments we had ever happened upon. If someone was doing something embarrassing you can practically guarantee that Sirius had a picture of it. The Wall basically has every picture that Sirius has ever taken.

Well naturally Sirius needed to put these embarrassing photo's somewhere so he began sticking them up on the wall randomly. Sirius liked to call it 'The Wall of Shame', because that's what it was really. It had people picking their nose and wiping it on the table (Davey Gudgeon), scratching their behind (Alanna Capes), looking extremely shifty and pocketing something (Mundungus Fletcher), and laughing as plates, cutlery and utensils smashed together at dinner (Dumbledore). If any of the teachers ever seen The Wall it would incriminate a lot of people and probably land us with lifetime detentions. Luckily Remus knew a spell to disguise the photos on the wall in case the teachers ever decided to step foot in the dormitory.

Remus, Peter and I had also started making our own additions to The Wall– only yesterday I had hung up my drawings of Snape getting eaten by a chimera. I also added Quidditch stuff. Remus articles he had found interesting or chocolate wrappers and Peter hung up chocolate frog cards he collected. From there it grew to include everything that we've ever collected or taken photos of that can be physically hung on a wall. (You don't _want _to know what Sirius has tried to hang up there).

"Ah, The Wall," Remus said fondly gazing over at our work of art and chuckling.

"I wonder how much we can stick on there before we have to migrate to the ceiling," Sirius wondered, looking at the cluttering of items on The Wall.

"Probably less than a term the way _you_ take pictures," I snorted and popped a Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean into my mouth.

Instantly I wish that I hadn't.

It was the most disgusting flavour I had ever tasted! It must have been vomit flavoured or something.

I started choking and Sirius ran over to me. I thought he was going to saveme from dying a horrible death of choking on a vomit flavoured bean (it's a lawsuit waiting to happen), instead he grabbed his camera and started snapping pictures of me choking with my face red and screwed up.

Thanks a lot Sirius.

He doesn't even help me but he takes pictures of me choking to death whilst guffawing loudly.

Some friend.

Fortunately at that moment the bean came back up and I spat it out onto the floor.

"Lovely picture Jamie," Sirius chortled, standing over me as I tried to get the disgusting flavour out of my mouth, "Just lovely! Could you try that face again? The one that looked like a bulldog on heat?" he said brightly, "I want to make sur-" he was abruptly silenced by the loud SMACK! of three pillows colliding into his various body parts as Remus, Peter and I all hurled our pillows at him for being such an insensitive prat.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well, that gives a whole new meaning to 'The Smashing Pumpkins' Hahahahah

Anyway, I want to thank everyone who's so far reviewed! Especially all the new reviewers coming out of the woodworks! I really really REALLY appreciate it and love you all for taking the time to read and review this story!

HBP: well it seems like its been ages since I've read it, I liked some of it, didn't like some of it. Overall it was a tad disappointing (don't kill me, please), and not as good as OotP (besides the end of OotP of course!) and not nearly as good as PoA. (Probably because of the significant lack of Sirius!)

Anyway, that's all I'm saying. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet.

**Kilikapele**Thanks very much! I'm glad you liked Peter's transition, the idea of catching a glimpse of PostMoon!Remus was not mine however, it was my old beta's idea actually, but I'm glad you thought it worked!

**Tijiya**Thank you very much! Yes I will keep it going through their Hogwarts years, up to year seven.

**Maraudergirl7: **Thanks very much!

**xMissxUnderstoodx**Well, Peter is a little rat yes, but you kind of have to forget that to write about their school days. I'm not saying anything about Snape though, the stupid bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep bleeping bleep (swear words omitted!).

**brennQT**Hehe, glad you liked Sirius! Sirius is the best. Anyway, glad you liked the chap, thanks very much!

**Trovia**Thanks very much for reviewing! I'm glad you like my take on Peter. Actually, I read your story on Peter's betrayal, **Padfoot's**** Mate** put me onto it, (I can read German, just not very good!) and thought it was brilliant! I really liked your portrayal of Peter in that story.

**MinorMistake99: **Thanks! Wow, I'm really glad a Peter chapter made your day :-D! Yes, Peter did see Remus' cuts and bruises, but Remus didn't want James and Sirius to see them.

**Mme. Raye: **Thanks very much! Glad you like it!

**The Thief Kurone: **Aw thanks SO much! I'm glad you like it! And yes, Remus-angst is always good. In moderation. ;-)

**Janet Lily: **Well you can always try for 700 or 800 or… I better not jinx myself and get too ahead of myself! Haha. Hehe, yes I'd certainly love to meet a real Moony too, seems like he doesn't actually exist! Sigh.

**Elvenwolf123321: **Aw, wow, thank you SO much! I really do appreciate it! Although I wouldn't consider publishing Memoirs. Strictly a fanfiction thing, I think. I'm really glad you like it!

**Thehpgang**that's okay! Im glad you liked the chapters. They didn't come because of the summer vacation though, its not summer where I live (Australia), it was just cause I wanted to get them out before HBP. Thank you so much! Although, I wouldn't publish it as a novel, (see above!)

**Alora05: **Thanks very much for your review! Glad you like it!

**Captain-Beatty: **Hellew! Aw, thanks so much! I really mean it! I really appreciate all your comments! And im glad you like the story!

**The Maniac Sisters: **Hehe, thank you so much! Jo might frown if she read this though. I can imagine it now, 'Whats that girl doing to my poor characters!' Hehheee.

**Delano**Aw thank you so much! Really means a lot! And I'm glad you liked the 'peacock' part. Hehe. Sirius is the best!

**Writer of Fantasy: **Thank you so much! I'm really glad you thought I depicted Peter well. Yay!

**Dementedtearz**Thank you very much for your reviews and comments! I do appreciate them!

**Setogirl04: **Thank you very much!

**Padfoot's**** Mate: **WOOHOO! WE HAVE A WINNER! Heheheh. You _are #_600! (As you already knew ages ago!) I really really _really_hope you liked the chapter, was it a nice surprise? I hope so! Curious to know what you think! Thanks so much for your reviews, constant support and everything, it really means a heck of a lot to me! Huge hugs!

**MutantJediBauer**Thank you very much! I'm glad you agree with the Remus/'Moony' thing. It is strange that the more you read about Harry, the more you wanna read about MWPP. Strange but good! Yay!

**Anarane**Hehe, that's okay! I'm just glad your reviewing again! I'm really glad you liked the chapters. Heheh, and I'm also glad I made you like Peter again! Yay! Although I wont ever ever ever _ever_make you like Snape. That is absolutely unforgivable. Enough said.

**LovePadfoot5876: **Thanks very much! Well you will get to see more of Lily in the future I suppose. When they start to notice her a bit more.

**Parvarti-15: **Aw thanks SO much! I'm really stoked that your friend (whoever they are, bless them) recommended this story and I;m glad you like it! Thank you SO much!

**Katty03: **Thank you SO much! Im really glad you like it! As to how many chaps this will be… short answer: I have no idea! Long answer: Well, its already over 30 chaps and I'm only in 2nd year, so I'm guessing there's going to be _a whole damn lot of chapters! _Hehe.

**EverKitsune**Aw! Thanks SO much! I updated! I updated! Just not soon-ish. Glad you liked the peacock thing, hehe.

**Yllom21: **Wow! Thank you SO Much! Really appreciate it!

**Jojo**Thanks very much!

**Elvengirl9: **Thanks very much for your reviews! Yay!

**Potpoury**Thank you SO much! And thanks for the fave:-D :-D

**Chicleschmicle**Cool name! Thanks! Hmm, as to the grammar, well it has been beta-ed, so I don't think there's that many mistakes. But I will keep a look out for them.

**Seriously Yours: **Thank you so much!

**Visualpurple**Thankyou very much! I'm glad you liked the way Peter realised Remus wasn't a monster. Yay.

**Erica: **Hehe, thank you very much! Glad you liked Peters POV.

**Messr-Paddifoots-Love**Thank you very much! Keep reading! It may seem long, but really its not. Hehe. ;-)

**Lii**Thank you very much! I kinda updated soon, didn't i?

**The mistress of mischief: **Aw, I'm so glad you got through to chapter 32! I'm proud as well! Yay! You caught up! I'm glad you like it and I do appreciate it!

Sorry if my reviews this time around were a bit rushed, but well, I'm tired… and there were more than I expected. (Which is a wonderful wonderful thing!)


	34. James' First Quidditch Match

**Year 1972, 2nd Year – November**

**James Jabbers:**

**Quote of the Day:** Quitters never win, and winners never quit, but those who never quit AND never win are idiots. (_I.e: The Slytherins, hahaha)_

The start of November 1972 was generally a very good month for Sirius, Remus, Peter and I, for two reasons. After the Hallowe'en incident Professor Slade left the castle in a magnificent fury claiming that Dumbledore was an old barmy crackpot who was incapable of controlling his students and that the students were a bunch of good-for-nothing slimy twerps, and further, that he would definitely be taking up that job at Durmstrang which he'd been offered at the start of the year, but didn't take because he was doing a favor for his old mate Crevan. (If you're wondering how we know all this, let's just say, two way mirrors and invisibility cloaks are a very handy thing to have.)

A new teacher called Slughorn soon replaced Slade and these led to much more enjoyable Potions lessons, except for the fact that he favoured certain class members over others. Indeed, he even started inviting some students, including Lily Evans, to lunches and special parties.

The staff wasn't overly concerned about the loss of Slade. Indeed, Hagrid had a good chortle about it and told us that he never liked the 'yellow haired pillocky ponce' anyway. Hagrid was also very proud of the pumpkins he had grown this year. 'I knew tha' unicorn manure would do 'em well' Hagrid told us, beaming.

Of course most of the staff, and the students for that matter, knew that the famous Marauders were behind the Hallowe'en prank, but couldn't prove it. The students forgave us because we got rid of Slade. McGonagall, however, was not so forgiving. She found every excuse to give us detentions. She even gave Sirius a detention for staring out the window for overly long periods at a time.

Another reason why November of 1972 was a great month was because it signaled the first game of the Quidditch season – Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, in which I would be playing.

November the 7th – the day of my first Quidditch match came upon me quite quickly. The weeks after I had been selected as the new Chaser went by rapidly and I found myself facing my first match with a hint of nervousness. It was fine practicing in front of the team and a few other people, but the prospect of playing a real match against the Slytherins with the whole school watching was daunting.

And so at breakfast on the morning of November the 7th I found that I could hardly eat as my stomach objected to whatever I tried to shovel in my mouth.

"Eat up James, you'll need it for the game," Connor Gallagher the 6th year Beater said pushing the plate of eggs towards me.

"I'm not really hungry," I replied.

"James, everyone feels like that on the morning of the first game," Connor said kindly, "I felt like it. I was so nervous that I accidentally hit the Bludger at Sturgis here instead of the other team," Connor chortled and slapped Sturgis on the back.

Sturgis grinned, "It's true you know. I just wish he hadn't put so much bloody force into it," Sturgis chuckled, "Couldn't feel the left side of me face for weeks afterwards, no matter how much potion Pomfrey made me drink." Linwell, Sturgis and Connor started laughing.

If they had thought that this would make me less nervous they were sadly mistaken. If anything the butterflies in my stomach fluttered even worse than before.

"You're scaring him you three," Caleb said as he sat down at the table, "James, you'll be fine if you play as good as you do at practice," Caleb said to me, "if the crowd is too daunting just imagine them all in underwear – it worked for me on my first game." Caleb finished with a short laugh.

"So _that's _why you're always staring in Morgan's direction when you play," Linwell laughed and Caleb cuffed him over the head with a grin.

"Seriously James," Connor took on a serious tone, "Just keep your head about you and fly like you do at practice and you'll be shooting goals in no time," he said, "and don't worry about the Bludgers – that's what I'm here for," he added, pointing to himself.

Connor's and Caleb's words made me feel slightly better.

I looked over at Eleanor, the new 4th year Beater, it was her first match as well but she didn't seem nervous at all. She was making her way through her fried eggs and bacon as if it was just another ordinary day.

"All right, we better go down to the changing rooms then," Caleb informed the team when we had finished eating. We all stood up.

Remus, Peter and Sirius all wished me luck as I stood up with the team.

"You'll knock 'em dead," Sirius grinned. I smiled back before saying a quick goodbye, grabbing my Quidditch gear and hurrying after the Gryffindor team as they exited from the Great Hall.

"Pity about the weather," Sturgis commented as we walked out the large entrance doors and looked up at the sky.

Rain was plummeting down in bucket loads and the sky was filled with dark foreboding thunderclouds. Every so often lightening would explode across the sky after a deep rumble of thunder.

My stomach tightened as we trudged across the grounds to the change rooms.

When we entered, my robes were soaked and I couldn't see a thing through my foggy wet glasses.

"I can't see properly," I said exasperatedly.

"Give those glasses here," Olivia Richards, a fellow Chaser, said. I handed my glasses over to her and she said a quick spell then handed them back, "There – they'll repel rain now," she said as she handed the glasses back to me.

"Thanks Olivia!" I said to her, she smiled and went to change into her Quidditch robes.

"Right, everyone ready to kick some slimy Slytherin backside?" Caleb asked once we had all changed into our Quidditch robes.

My father had sent me a brand new set of them when he heard that I was on the team.

"Definitely!" Sturgis grinned.

"Let me at 'em!" Connor said.

"Me too!" Eleanor said fiercely. If she was nervous about her first game she sure was not showing it. This made me slightly less nervous. If a girl wasn't nervous about it then why should _I_ be?

"Right, let's goooooo!" Caleb said, and with that he jogged out onto the pitch, leading the team onto the wet field to be greeted by a roar of noise and loud applause from the crowd.

The butterflies in my stomach were going haywire as I looked around at the crowd. I spotted Sirius, Remus and Peter, all of whom were yelling and applauding me. I found a little comfort in their fierce grins and proud faces. _I can do this,_ I told myself as I followed Caleb shakily over to the middle of the pitch.

Madam Sykes made Caleb and Derek Moragh, the Slytherin Chaser & Captain, shake hands. Caleb and Moragh hated each other just as Jared Abbott and Lucius Malfoy hated each other last year – they seemed to be carrying on the tradition. Well, all the Slytherins hated the Gryffindors and for the Gryffindors the feeling was more than mutual.

"On the whistle," Madam Sykes said, "three… two… one!" Madam Sykes blew the whistle and with a loud roar from the crowd we mounted our brooms and rose towards the thundering sky.

Connor and Sturgis let out loud whoops as they flew upwards while the crowd roared below us.

Once I was on my broom most of my nervousness left me and I flew upwards beside Caleb, who winked at me and yelled over the crowd "Let's get 'em James!" A surge of excitement ran through me and I grinned back as the balls came speeding upwards into the air.

This is where I belonged, up in the air playing the game. I absolutely loved it. Quidditch was my passion. I loved flying through the sky, the wind in my hair and the crowd cheering below. I came to love the sound of it. It sent a frenzy of excitement surging through me as I realized that they were cheering for me as well! Because I, James Potter, was part of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team!

I looked around at the team, who had now separated. Caleb was tailing Moragh – who was in possession of the Quaffle. I flew after them and above Vince Bragge, another Slytherin Chaser. Suddenly Moragh threw the Quaffle to Bragge but before it got there I dropped quickly in between them and caught it.

Clutching the Quaffle to my side I flew in the direction of the Slytherin hoops, the crowd roaring as Linwell yelled "And this could be the first goal for new Chaser James Potter!" I hurtled towards the middle hoop where the Slytherin Keeper, Gregory Greaves, hovered in front of it, guarding it fiercely.

I pretended that I was going to try and get past him and try throwing the Quaffle through the middle hoop. I flew straight at him and when I was about three metres away from crashing into him, I swerved swiftly to the right, and threw the Quaffle at the right goal hoop. It flew straight past Greaves before he could stop it and went straight through the hoop.

There was a roar of applause from the crowd and I did a couple of loop the loops in happiness. I had scored the first goal of the match and my first goal for the team! I flew excitedly back to the rest of the team as they all yelled congratulations to me as Linwell yelled "And James Potter scores his first goal! Merlin that boy can _fly_! Its ten to zero with Gryffindor in the lead!"

Moragh had the Quaffle again and was flying towards the Gryffindor hoops, Bragge and Wilkes – the other two Chasers, flew on either side of him to beat off the Chasers. I sped after them in an effort to get the Quaffle from Moragh but Moragh had already entered the scoring area, it was up to Rhodrick to stop the Quaffle now.

Moragh hurled the Quaffle at the left goal hoop, Rhodrick sped over to it – but too late – the Quaffle slipped past him and went through the hoop as the Slytherins cheered.

"And Moragh scores bringing it to an even ten!" Linwell said.

Rhodrick threw the Quaffle back out onto the pitch and Caleb caught it and sped down the pitch, I flew on his right. "Over here!" I yelled to Caleb who was surrounded by Moragh and Bragge.

Caleb threw the Quaffle to me but before I could catch it a Bludger came hurtling towards me at a deadly speed. I swerved upwards to avoid it and whipped my head around to find that Wilkes had the Quaffle and Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, the Slytherin Beaters, were laughing and jeering at me.

"Learn to fly Potter!" Rabastan sneered.

I ignored them and hurtled after Wilkes, who was speeding towards the Gryffindor goal hoops. I caught up with him and tried to take the Quaffle from his grasp but he banged into my side and I felt the full force of Wilkes' elbow in my face. The smarmy git had elbowed me! I skidded to a halt as the crowd let out a roar of outrage. I put a hand to the side of my face, it was throbbing.

"That dirty git!" I heard Linwell yell into the megaphone.

I heard a whistle blow and Madam Sykes yell "Penalty to Gryffindor! No foul play allowed, Wilkes! Why, I did not start teaching Quidditch to see people play in such an appalling manner!"

I flew towards the central circle of the pitch and Olivia threw the Quaffle towards me. I flew to the Slytherin hoops, Greaves glared at me. I sped up and flew upwards above the hoops, Greaves looked up in bewilderment and before he knew what was happening I dived and threw the Quaffle towards the left goal hoop, it sailed through seamlessly and the crowd applauded and screamed with enthusiasm.

"Great one James!" Connor yelled to me as he swung his bat at a Bludger, which hurtled towards Moragh.

"Thanks!" I yelled back.

"And Gryffindor leads 20 to 10!" Linwell announced.

It was my first game and already I had scored the first two goals for Gryffindor!

The rest of the game went by quite quickly as the rain continued pouring down and the thunderclouds rumbled overhead.

Slytherin, despite their dirty tactics, were only ten points behind us and the score was 100 to 90. If Sturgis didn't find the Snitch soon then we'd be playing all night. I already felt soaked to the bone as it was.

I had scored another two goals, Olivia had scored two and Caleb four – making it 100. Connor and Eleanor were fighting their own fierce battle with Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, who pelted the Bludger at every one on the Gryffindor team – especially Sturgis - who was finding it hard to find the Snitch with the rain pounding down on us, making a thick veil through which it was hard to see.

"Great flying James!" Caleb yelled as I caught the Quaffle from him and flew towards the Slytherin goal hoops. I sped towards the hoops, holding out the Quaffle, readying to throw it when suddenly Moragh appeared in front of me and hurtled straight towards me. Before I could swerve off course or move out of the way we collided with a BANG! This didn't affect Moragh much, as he was a big brute, but as he ran into me I felt my neck jerk backwards, and it hurt like hell. It felt as if I had been whip lashed. I only just managed to stay on my broom.

The crowd let out a roar of outrage and Madam Sykes blew her whistle yelling, "I didn't fly across the Atlantic Ocean to see such foul play! Penalty for Gryffindor!"

But my head was spinning at that moment and I doubted that I could throw the Quaffle at the goal hoops without it going in the wrong direction entirely.

Luckily I didn't have to take the penalty as at that moment the crowd erupted in loud screams, cheering and applause, as Linwell yelled "_And Sturgis Podmore has the Snitch! Gryffindor wins – two hundred and fifty to ninety!" _With that Linwell let out a loud whoop and the team came flying over to me.

"Are you okay James?" Olivia asked.

The spinning in my head stopped and I grinned at her, "_We won!" _I yelled weakly.

"He's definitely fine," Connor grinned at me, and we descended to the ground as the Gryffindors ran over to us, cheering and grinning broadly.

"Potter!" McGonagall's stiff voice rang out through the crowd.

"Yeah?" I asked faintly as she marched towards me.

"Are you all right?" she asked. I widened my eyes in surprise – she looked genuinely concerned!

"Er- yeah I'm fine… thanks…" I replied.

The corners of her mouth curved into a tight lipped smile, "Good, good," she said and then turned away.

But before I had time to ponder this, Sirius, Remus and Peter were upon me, shouting congratulations and slapping me on the back.

"You were _brilliant!_" Sirius said jubilantly.

I grinned. "Thanks Sirius!"

"And that stupid git Moragh – slamming into you like that! I wish Eleanor would've hit her Bludger at him and broken his ugly mug," Sirius said fiercely. I grinned at Sirius' indignation and concern for me.

"You were amazing James! The way you flew up there was terrific! And the way you put that first goal through the hoops – _wow_!" Peter babbled as he looked at me with eyes full of admiration.

"Cheers Pete!" I grinned. There is nothing better than being praised by one's friends.

I could definitely get used to this feeling, I thought, as the Gryffindor team pulled me into a group hug and started chanting "_We won! We won! We won!_", while the Slytherins looked on with a mixture of fury, jealousy and indignation upon their faces.

Yep, I could _definitely_ get used to this...

**Author's Notes: **Woah. I am so so so so so sorry that I haven't updated in sooooo long, but I've been very busy lately and have had no connection since November. Hopefully I will have a proper connection again soon and will be able to update more regularly. Oh and I'm not allowed to do reply's anymore, since fanfiction have stopped it (I hope they havent also stopped authors notes as well?)so if you have any questions or want a reply or whatever tell me or PM me and I will try to reply as soon as I can, no guarantees though. Okay, so I need a favour from someone; I need a beta, if anyone thinks their up for the job and have preferably beta-ed before, then please email me, I need help with time lines, Voldemort's first rise to power, also some of the stuff in HBP will also need to be taken into consideration, also general grammar and that kind of stuff etc. Lastly thank you all for your patience I hope you all are still reading this and please review as they mean so much to me. Don't give up on me:-D


	35. Strange Goings On

**Thanks: **Many many thanks goes to **Elvengirl9** and **Maethril** **Aranel/Sara** for betaing this chap for me, I _really_ appreciate it guys, you did a wonderful job, couldn't have posted this without you :-D P.S – thanks very muchfor the quote Sara!

**Year: 1972, 2nd Year**

**Sirius' Story: **

**Quote of the Day: **'_Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.' –Muhammad Ali_

It was a chilly winter morning on a Sunday in the second week of December, and James, Remus, Peter and I were sitting in the Great Hall, eating our daily breakfast.

It had been a fairly lazy morning as I had woken up late. I was always a late riser, and I especially loved Sundays because I could sleep in longer unless James, Remus or Peter made too much noise getting up (which they seemed to do a lot of; they always make a habit of being noisy when they wake up. I have a feeling it's just to annoy me. Well, actually, I _know _they do it to annoy me).

Anyway, because I rose late, James and Peter had already had breakfast. Remus, however, had risen late as well, so we went down to breakfast together.

"Hey, look, there's some owls waiting for you," James said, pointing at two owls sitting on the Gryffindor table as we walked into the Great Hall. James and Peter had decided to come down with Remus and me to breakfast—we had decided to have a snowball fight afterwards.

What better way was there to spend a Sunday than throwing snowballs as hard as you can at your friends until they surrendered?

I couldn't think of one.

I looked at the two owls, groaning instantly as I recognised the sinister-looking one. It was Zade, my parents' owl. The stupid owl hated me and always pecked me whenever I got near it. Not that I ever tried. The owl waiting for Remus was a daily prophet owl. Remus had taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet at the start of the second year for reasons unknown to me. The only interesting thing about the paper was the crosswords.

As I sat down at the Gryffindor table, Zade plunged forward and pecked me hard on the hand as if to say 'Take your effing letter so I can get out of this dump!'

"Ow! You stupid owl!" I said. It continued pecking me while I tried to pull the letter off its leg. "If you'd stop pecking me, maybe I'd be able to get the letter off your leg so you can get lost!" I snapped at Zade.

"Sirius, owls can't talk back in case you hadn't noticed." James smirked with obvious enjoyment as Zade started to claw at me. He'd pay for it later when a snowball would hurtle smack bang into his face. That would soon wipe the smirk off.

"I'm well aware of that, James. I know the stupid thing can understand me though!" I replied, finally yanking the letter off Zade's leg and receiving two nips on the hand for 'stupid' and the violent motion I had used in pulling the letter off.

"Now get lost!" I said as I swatted it away. It hooted and took flight after cuffing me over the head with the edge of its wing.

I glared at the owl. "I swear, if that thing was capable of murder, it'd do me in."

James and Peter laughed.

"I don't blame it, the way you treat him," Peter remarked.

"Shut up Pete," I replied as I ripped open the letter to read it. There was another letter inside the envelope. This made me curious. I opened the first one; it was, of course, from my parents.

It read:

_Sirius, _

_Don't bother coming home for Christmas; we don't want you here if you wish to continue your acquaintance with blood-traitors and half-breeds. As there is no way to convince you otherwise of discontinuing your relations with these people, we do not want nor need your presence at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. _

_Merry Christmas, _

_Cyrilla and Amias Black_

"What a lovely Christmas greeting, don't you think?" I said sarcastically to James as he and Peter leant in to read it. I was, of course, not really bothered by the letter. I was so used to letters like these that I shrugged them off these days. In fact, it was a wonder they hadn't raved on about how bad my friends were for another five feet of parchment. Maybe they had given up. But I suppose _that_ was way too much to hope for.

I had not even intended to go to Number 12 Grimmauld Place this Christmas; I only would have went if my parents had demanded it. I no longer called that place a home, nor those people my family. Rather, Hogwarts was my home, and Remus, James and Peter were my family.

"So lovely," James replied as I unsealed the second letter. To my surprise, it was from my cousin, Andromeda.

_Dear Sirius,_

_I've heard you're not coming to Number 12 Grimmauld Place_ _for Christmas–well, rather, you were told **not** to come home for Christmas. Whatever the reason, I don't blame you and I know you won't be there anyway. That is a pity; I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things. I'm at Grimmauld Place_ _now with my father and mother. Listen, can you try and be at the Gryffindor common room fireplace one day in the Christmas holidays? I would like to talk to you. Send word back with a school owl. Zade will take it straight to your parents. _

_All the best,_

_Andromeda _

I read over the letter again. I wondered what Andromeda wanted to talk to me about and why. Sometimes we'd keep in contact via letters, and I wondered what she wanted to tell me that she couldn't write in a letter. I thought of her boyfriend, Ted Tonks; maybe it was something about him that she hadn't told the family yet. Last time we had talked about Ted Tonks was in the summer, when things weren't that serious between them (or so I thought) and Andromeda hadn't told her parents about it yet. Maybe it was something to do with that. Whatever it was, it had me curious. Very curious.

"I wonder what she wants to talk to you about," James wondered aloud.

"James, did I _say_ you could read my letters?" I asked, pretending to be annoyed. I didn't really care if James read my letters or not, unless they were really private. Even then, I'd probably tell him anyway. James and I kept hardly any secrets from each other.

"Nope," he replied casually, not needing to add 'but I'm going to anyway'.

"So are you guys going home for Christmas?" I asked Remus, James and Peter.

"I'm not," James replied.

"I don't know yet," Peter said.

I looked over at Remus, who was immersed in the Daily Prophet whilst bringing his cereal-laden spoon up to his mouth. I laughed as he almost missed his mouth. He turned the page, and after a few seconds his eyes grew wide and he dropped his spoon, which fell to his plate with a loud clatter.

"Remus?" I said, though he wasn't paying any attention to any of us—his eyes were fixed on the paper in disbelief.

"What's the matter?" Peter asked Remus.

Remus didn't reply. After a while he lowered the paper slowly. His hands, I noticed, were shaking. I wondered what was so bad that he had read in the paper.

"Remus, what is it? What's in there?" I asked as I seized the paper from Remus' shaky hands. I scanned the page with James and Peter doing the same over my shoulder. Apart from a small ad about Mrs. Skowers' all-purpose remover, there was a story about some missing people. It read:

MISSING WIZARD NUMBERS INCREASE AS MINISTRY TAKES ACTION 

Anastasia and Wesley Sheppard, famed founders of the Muggle Appreciation Guild, seem to have mysteriously disappeared with no clue as to their whereabouts. The 42 and 46-year-old couple, living in the quiet town of Appleby disappeared sometime early last week, but were only reported missing yesterday when a neighbour contacted the Ministry to report the couple's mysterious disappearance.

"I haven't seen them for about ten days," Anita Gretell, the neighbour who reported to the Ministry, said, "Which is unusual for the Sheppards, as they like to drop in every so often. It is very strange…they seem to have vanished without a trace."

And the circumstances are very strange indeed. Upon questioning the neighbours, it has been found that the Sheppards have been missing for over ten days. It seems that the couple has vanished; no one knows of their possible whereabouts.

The disappearance of Anastasia and Wesley Sheppard is yet another addition to the rising number of mysterious disappearances that have been reported this year alone.

The Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal that missing person cases are indeed more common than we think, "Over fifty wizards go missing every year," an unnamed Ministry insider revealed. The informer further went on to state, "Some are never even found."

Despite this cynicism, the Ministry states that they "are doing our best to uncover these mysterious disappearances; all of our most dedicated and professional members are working to find those in question."

A Ministry spokesperson said the following: "We would like to console families and friends of missing wizards in saying that we are quite confident that they will be found."

If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of the missing people, it should be reported to the Ministry of Magic Investigative Police instantly by owl.

After reading the article, I looked at Remus again. He seemed a little pale.

"Remus, do you know these people?" I asked bluntly. There was no other way to put it, really.

After a while he replied. "Yes… they were – they _are_ close friends of my parents…" he explained.

"Oh." James said.

"Are you okay?" Peter asked, concern written in his eyes.

"I'm… I don't know…" he said quietly. "… I… I hope they'll be able to find them. Mum and Dad are very close to them, and… I…" Remus trailed off.

"Of course they'll find them! They _have_ to, they have the best of the Ministry members on the case! How can they _not _find them!" James said.

"But they haven't found any of the others yet, have they?" Remus replied.

"That's because they probably weren't taking it as seriously before. Now that more people have disappeared, they'll _have_ to do something about it," I said to try and comfort Remus.

Remus looked at me. "Yeah, maybe you're right," he said quietly. But I knew he didn't believe it.

We sat in silence. None of us really knew what to say or do to help Remus; there really wasn't anything we _could _do.

Of course we had known that people had gone missing over the past year, but it was only every so often. The disappearances were always followed by a couple of months where nothing happened at all. This was the first time that the disappearance of names in a paper had affected one of us directly.

"Hey Remus—it'll be all right. I'm sure the Ministry will be able to find them," I said, though only half believing it. If the Ministry still hadn't found any of the other missing people then it was doubtful that they'd find the Sheppards.

Remus didn't reply.

"So, do you want to go have a snowball fight or something?" I asked James, Remus and Peter. The happy mood that had surrounded just half an hour before had quickly dissipated.

"Yeah, okay," Peter said. James nodded.

"Remus?" I asked.

"No, I don't think so… I think I'll go back up to the tower," he replied, standing up and walking back to the entrance hall before we had a chance to say anything. I made to follow him, but James pulled me back.

"Sirius let him go. I think its best we leave him alone. He needs to be alone," James said.

"Shouldn't we comfort him, or talk to him or something?" I said, looking after Remus' retreating figure. I wanted to comfort him at least. He had always been there for me when I needed it. I remembered the time when Bellatrix and Narcissa had made me so angry and confused the day after Hallowe'en in first year and Remus had been there for me.

I wanted to be there for him now.

"Yes, but he needs time to be alone first," James said. I guessed James was right, so I let him grab my arm and pull me out of the Great Hall and towards the large oak doors.

As we opened the doors, a chilly wind hit our faces and I reached up to cover up my face a little more with my scarf. Fortunately, I had dressed for the freezing weather, so I wasn't too cold.

"It's bloody freezing out here," Peter complained. Somehow, it suddenly didn't feel like throwing snowballs full speed at my friends _was _a fun thing to do on that particular Sunday. Nor, it seemed, did James and Peter.

"I don't really feel like a snowball fight after all," James said, his cheeks red from the cold wind.

"Me neither," I agreed.

"Can we go back inside then?" Peter asked. I nodded and we made our way back inside the castle.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" I asked.

"Hey, we could explore the castle a bit more," James said.

"Yeah! Let's do that," Peter replied. Peter always seemed to want to do whatever James suggested at the time.

"Well, you two go ahead. I think I'll go back to the common room," I said. I wanted to be there for Remus as he had been for me when I needed it. For some reason, it just seemed important at the time.

"All right, we'll catch up with you later then," James said. I nodded. I could tell that James was also concerned about Remus, but he knew that it would be better if only one of us went to comfort him. That was just the way things were done with Remus.

"See ya," Peter said.

As I turned around and made my way back to the Gryffindor common room, my mind turned to the missing people that had vanished without so much as a clue to their whereabouts. It was very strange indeed. At the start, when the first person went missing, Murphy Dillagle I think was his name, people didn't seem to notice much or even care. They just read it in the Daily Prophet and didn't even think much about it so long as it didn't concern them. They went about their daily lives without so much as a second thought about it. And I must admit that I was one of those people. When I first heard about people going missing I didn't think much of it, and life went on. After all, people went missing all the time, for whatever reason may be.

Looking back now at my second year and the year it all started happening, I realise how stupid and oblivious everyone really was. Voldemort was disposing of people quietly in the early years and we didn't even notice until the worst started happening. Or maybe we didn't _want _to notice. I know that that was how some people see it; they didn't want to acknowledge the fact that there was a Dark Lord rising, ready to destroy everything the wizarding community had protected and built for so long. Some people didn't want to believe it and therefore they didn't. They tried to live in a dream world, where everything was right. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until these people saw reality and what was really happening in the world.

Quite suddenly I found myself at the portrait hole, facing the Fat Lady.

"Flobberworm." I said the password and the portrait hole swung open to let me in.

I climbed through the portrait hole and found the common room to be relatively full, as it was a chilly Sunday in December and no one particularly wanted to go outside (unless they were like James, Peter, Remus and I, who had planned to go outside for a snowball fight).

I scanned the room for Remus, but found only other second years and older students hanging about, so I made my way up to our dormitory.

When I arrived at the dormitory door, I pulled it open and stepped inside—only to find an empty room. There was no sign of Remus whatsoever; indeed, it looked exactly the same as when we had left it this morning. I wondered where Remus could be. I had been so certain that he'd be up in the dormitory that I hadn't thought that he'd be anywhere else.

I turned around and made my way back down the staircase.

I spotted Alexandra Bennett and Lily Evans, fellow second years, sitting in the corner. I decided to ask them where Remus was.

"Hey, Alex, Lily," I greeted them. Lily looked at me indifferently, mumbling a 'hello' and Alex returned my greeting.

"Have you seen Remus by any chance?" I asked.

"Yes," Alex said, "He came in about twenty minutes ago. He went to his dormitory and when he came back he had some parchment with him. Why do you ask?" Alex asked.

"I was just looking for him, that's all," I replied.

"He might've gone to the Owlery," Alex suggested.

"Okay, thanks," I said before turning around and making my way, yet again, out of the portrait hole.

I made my way through the corridors to the Owlery.

When I finally reached the Owlery I thought that Remus might not be there anymore, but I opened the door to have a look anyway, and there he was, standing at the windowsill, surrounded by owls and looking out into the landscape beyond. The Owlery was very cold and draughty because there was no glass in the windows so the owls could fly in and out. It would have been amusing if there _was _glass in the windows though. I can't tell you how many times I've seen birds fly into a window because they don't know it's covered in glass…

Remus seemed to go to the Owlery a fair bit, even though he didn't own an owl himself. He liked to look after the other owls there. Remus liked animals quite a bit and the owls seemed to like his presence as well.

"Hey Remus," I said, closing the door behind me. The owls surrounding Remus hooted and flew back up to their perch. Remus turned around to face me.

"Sirius," he said. "Why are you here?"

"Well, I could ask you the same thing," I replied, but seeing the look he gave me I quickly added, "I came to see you."

"What for?" he asked, turning back to the window.

"To see how you were," I replied.

"I'm fine."

I walked closer to him, "No, you're not. And that's perfectly obvious to me," I said, joining him at the window.

Remus didn't reply.

I really had no idea what to say. It's a lot harder to comfort someone than to be comforted by someone. Then I remembered that I had to send Andromeda a letter to tell her if I could talk to her or not, "Do you have spare parchment and some ink?" I asked Remus.

He silently handed some over to me. I scribbled a quick note to Andromeda and went in search of a school owl. None of them seemed to want to send my letter or come down from their perches. I don't know what the stupid animals had against me anyway.

"Hey, you! Yes you, you silly owl! Come down here and make yourself useful! Yes, you! Come and send my letter!" I said to a wide-eyed owl looking down at me. He promptly turned around on his perch and faced the other way. "Hey! I _said_ send my letter! You've got nothing better to do! What's the use of you if you can't even send a letter! Damn owl!" I yelled up at it. As it were, it didn't reply. Owls can't talk, but I knew it understood me. Owls are very smart creatures. To further insult me the said owl chose that moment to do its business – which narrowly missed my head. I cursed again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Remus shake his head, the hint of a smile forming on his lips.

"Won't one of you stupid animals send my letter!" I said, looking up at the owls, which all seemed to ignore me and my requests.

"Sirius. That's not how you treat an animal if you want it to obey you," Remus said finally, seeming to enjoy the way the owls were ignoring me. "You have to coax it down, not yell and insult it," he said, walking over to me.

"Well, you do it then. They don't like me." I said, handing him my letter. Remus rolled his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. He muttered something that sounded distinctly like 'wonder why?'

Remus held up the letter. "Come on Orrill, come down and you can send this letter," he said in a coaxing voice. Instantly, and to my slight annoyance, the owl that nearly pooed on me flew off its perch and landed delicately on Remus' outstretched arm. "Good Orrill, now you can send this letter for this nutter so he won't annoy you anymore. There's a good owl," he said softly to the owl while he attached the letter to its leg. 'Orrill' hooted happily and Remus patted it before it took off out the window to deliver my letter.

"Orrill?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. "On first name terms, are you?"

Remus gave a small smile. "Well, Dumbledore told me some of their names and he said I could name the others because he was hard done naming one," he replied. I had never known that about Remus. Already it felt as if I was learning more about him and that I was comforting him in some small way.

"Really? Dumbledore let you name the school owls? Cool," I replied. I wanted to name an owl.

"Yeah, I came up here once during first year and Dumbledore was here, checking on them, and we got to talking and he said I could name them if I wanted, because he couldn't think of any."

"That's neat," I said. "Oh, and as for that nutter comment…I'll let it slip this time, but you better watch out next time." I grinned at him.

Remus smiled fully this time.

I sat down on one of the ledges near the wall. "So, is this where you come when you disappear sometimes?" I asked, looking around at the large circular room.

Remus came to join me. "Sometimes," he replied. "It's like when you go to the lake. Sometimes, I come up here."

"Isn't it strange…" I said, musing.

"What?"

"That we each have a different place to go to when we need to think, or be alone, or sort things out," I explained.

Remus nodded.

We let a comfortable silence slip between us. Then, after a while, I spoke softly. "So are you going home for Christmas?"

He didn't reply for a while. "Yes. I mean, I think I should, I want to see my family. See how they're coping with… well, everything." He drew patterns in the dust on the floor.

"Yeah," I said. "Listen Remus, I'm sure the Ministry will find them." I hoped that would comfort him.

"You really believe that?" he asked, looking at me. I didn't know what to say. I hadn't expected him to ask that. I couldn't lie to him. I actually didn't know if they'd find them or not. After all, they still hadn't found the other people that had gone missing.

"I… I don't know what I believe, Remus. But isn't it better to have hope, however little it may be, than no hope at all?"

He stared at me, hazel eyes boring into my own. "Yes. Of course."

I felt as though, in that one moment, I had truly offered him comfort.

"Why are all of these people missing, do you think?" Remus asked me after a while.

"I really don't know. It's strange. But I think we'll find out; whether in a while, or very soon, I think we'll find out. It might be just that they wanted a bit of peace and quiet, or maybe it's because of the normal reason people go missing…" I trailed off, not knowing the normal reasons why people vanished without a trace.

"No," Remus said. Drawing patterns in the dust again, he traced a circle with his finger. "I think it's more than that. It's more than the normal reasons, Sirius. I think something is really happening. I don't know what, but this is too mysterious to turn out to be normal. Too strange—even for a wizarding community."

I realized Remus was totally right. It _was _too strange. After all, who had ever heard of people mysteriously disappearing without any clues? It was indeed strange. Suddenly, a feeling of uneasiness crept over me. My spine tingled, as if an invisible hand had run an icy finger down my back.

"It is strange. Strange indeed." I replied.

"Yes. I think something will, or _has_ to happen," Remus replied, placing his finger in the middle of the circle and making an imprint, "I just wonder what it's going to be…"

7 7 7

**Author's Notes: **Dun dun dunnnnn… he he he. Yes, I'm evil. But you'll get over it. Soooooo soooooo sorry for taking so long to update… again! Meep! My computer chucked a spastic and I was very busy! Dont hurt me. lol.


	36. Questions

**Sirius' Story**

**Quote of the Day: **'_Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance' (– Martin Luther King Jr.)_

The Christmas holidays came and saw Remus and Peter again going home to be with their families for the Christmas holidays. Remus had not received any news of the couple that had gone missing a couple of weeks before, but he still felt he needed to be with his parents. So it was only James and I again this Christmas, which was becoming something of a tradition here at Hogwarts. ignorant

Christmas Day had come, and consequently this was also the day that I had arranged to meet Andromeda in the common room fireplace. I was sitting near the crackling fireplace, waiting for my cousin's head to appear in the flames. The common room was empty as it always was in the Christmas holidays; it was even emptier than usual because I had arranged to meet Andromeda at the time of the Christmas feast so that we would be assured privacy. James was down at the feast, covering for me. I didn't mind missing out on the feast much because I knew that James would bring me food anyway, and if he didn't I'd get some from the kitchens later. It was a win - win situation.

I was flipping through one of James' Quidditch magazines as I waited, reading about the recent games, when suddenly I heard a pop. I looked towards the fire to see Andromeda, her long brown hair tied in a pony tail. She looked a bit upset - but she smiled when she saw me.

"Andromeda! Hi!" I said as I bent down to talk to her.

"Hi Sirius, how are you?" she asked, gazing at me as flames licked the sides of her head.

"Fine, you?" I asked.

"Ah, not so good."

"What? Why not? What happened?" I asked. I had a feeling that there was something behind her sullen mood.

"Well, it appears that we're both heretics now," she replied disconsolately.

"Huh?" I asked, puzzled.

"I was wiped off the tapestry, Sirius," she said finally. I widened my eyes in shock. The tapestry was a tapestry recording the Black lineage and its family tree for over centuries. Every known pureblood Black was on that tapestry, even me, and if any of the Blacks were not worthy of the Black family or if they were disowned, they were always wiped off. I just wondered when _I_ would be wiped off there.

"You- wiped off! _Why_?"

"I told them that I was engaged," she said. I widened my eyes.

"You're _engaged_!" _Why_ hadn't she told me all this!

"Yes… to a Muggle-born…" she said. "Who listens to crazy rock music and dances like a hippy." She grinned, and that faraway look was in her eyes again.

I wondered fleetingly what a hippy was. Some kind of crazy animal, perhaps? "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"I was going to, but I didn't want to write it in a letter."

I ran my hand through my hair, not knowing what to think. Andromeda was engaged _and_ she had been wiped off the tapestry!

"Tell me everything," I said then. "Start from the beginning." I wanted to know everything about how this had happened.

Andromeda looked at me gravely and started her story.

I won't write her exact words here—I can't remember them all. But, I _can _tell you the general story.

Andromeda had been going out with Ted Tonks since her 7th Year, but after that she broke it off because she knew our family would never approve of it. Then, in the summer of our 1st year, when she had taken me to Diagon Alley, she met up with him again and started seeing him. They had been together ever since, and last week when Ted had asked her to marry him, she said yes and decided once and for all to tell the family. Well, she told them at Christmas, where they would all be together, and then, knowing they wouldn't accept it, she left Grimmauld Place…but not before she was wiped off the tapestry.

"So that's why I'm at Ted's place, and not Grimmauld Place," Andromeda finished.

I sat there for a while, mulling over what I had just heard.

"So they've disowned you?" I asked, angry that my favourite cousin had now been disowned from our family.

Andromeda nodded. "It was only a matter of time, Sirius."

"But- but where will you go now?" I asked.

"I'll live at Ted's flat until we find a proper house to live in," Andromeda replied.

"How's it feel?" I asked suddenly. I'd always wondered what it would feel like to be disowned from the Black family—or, rather, to disown _them_. I'd dreamed about it for so long but never really had the courage to go through with it all. Now that Andromeda had done it, it hit close to home.

Andromeda looked at me for a moment, and then her face broke into a grin. "Oh Sirius, it feels great," she said suddenly. "I feel like I'm finally free. I've never agreed with their ways and what they believe in, and to… to leave all that behind and start fresh, like I don't belong to the Black family…it feels wonderful."

Then she stopped grinning. "But…" she stopped.

"But?" I quipped.

"But at the same time, it feels like I've lost a big part of me. I mean, it's not everyday that you find yourself without a family and a home to go back to…" she trailed off.

"But you still have me! I'm family!" I reminded her.

She smiled at me, "Yes, I still have you, Sirius. And it better stay that way," she added.

"Of course it'll stay that way! I wouldn't have it any other way," I replied. Andromeda smiled.

"Good."

"So that's that then." I said.

"Yeah, that's that. It's not Andromeda Black anymore, but Andromeda Tonks." Andromeda let out a wistful sigh. She really must love Tonks.

"But _I'll_ always be Sirius _Black_," I said derisively. There was no denying it. I'd always keep my last name. Even if I did marry, I'd have kids with the last name of 'Black'. It depressed me somehow.

Andromeda didn't reply for a minute. "Yes, you share their last name, Sirius, but that's all you share with them. You've always been different from them, and I've always noticed it. You've always been the one to rebel. You don't believe in the pureblood mania. You know that what makes a wizard has nothing to do with being pureblood, but with what's in his heart, and that makes you different."

"Thanks, Andromeda," I replied genuinely.

"That's all right," she said. "Now Sirius, listen. I wanted to talk to you about something else." She was suddenly serious. "Have you been hearing about the people going missing lately?"

I widened my eyes. So Andromeda had noticed as well. "Yes. Remus' parents' friends were some of them– Anastasia and Wesley Sheppard, the most recent ones," I replied.

Andromeda regarded me gravely. "Is Remus okay?"

"Well… I'm not sure, I… I can't imagine what it'd be like to have people that you've known all your life just disappear like that…"

"Yes. It must be hard. Is he here?" Andromeda asked, peering around the empty common room.

"No. He went home for Christmas to be with his family," I said. "So what do you think of it all?"

"Well… it could be just the usual case of people going missing and they'll turn up later, or that they went missing under the normal circumstances… _or_ it could be something more."

"Like what?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's a little bit strange that people go missing, and then it's quiet for months until more people go missing," Andromeda said.

"Yeah. But what's _happening_?" I wondered.

"I really don't know, Sirius. No one does. But Ted's noticed something…"

"What?"

"These people that go missing…they're all Muggle borns, or involved with Muggles…"

I looked at her, wide-eyed. "But… what does all this mean?"

"I don't know that either, but your father and Crevan— when he was at Grimmauld Place last—they were saying something about the Knights of Walpurgis."

"Knights of Walpurgis?" The name sounded vaguely familiar. "Who or _what_ is that?"

"It's a group of some sort," Andromeda replied. "Whatever they are, Amias and Crevan know what they are and they aren't in the least concerned about the disappearances. On the contrary, they think that as long as it's Muggle-borns that go missing, then it's fine with them."

I shook my head angrily. "It _would _be fine with _them, _the stupid prats!"

"Well whatever it is, it's probably just a passing thing anyway—at least, I hope it is," Andromeda replied.

"Yeah," I said, more to reassure myself than Andromeda. "Just a passing thing…"

"Hey, speaking of Crevan – why isn't he back at school yet?" I asked. "Not that I care, believe me. Just curious."

"I don't know exactly, but apparently, he's busy doing some other work," Andromeda replied.

"Other work?"

"I'm not sure what, but it might have something to do with what your father and he were talking about—about those Knights of Walpurgis."

This was getting even stranger. I didn't reply for a while.

"So, having a good Christmas?" Andromeda said lightly, changing the subject.

"Wha… oh… yes, good enough," I replied vaguely.

"Did you get my present?" She asked.

"Yes, it's great! Thanks a lot!" I grinned, thinking of the talking hat that Andromeda had sent me. At random intervals it started insulting passers-by.

"I thought you might like it, I thought of you when I saw it. It's from Ted as well – he was the one who convinced me to buy it."

"Oh, thank him for me then," I replied. Then, I raised my eyebrow and grinned at her teasingly. "Sending presents together now, are you? I seem to have missed the Christmas card with the picture of you and Ted on it, or did you forget to send it?"

Andromeda rolled her eyes with a grin. "Well, Ted wanted to pay half," she replied.

I smiled. "Well, he doesn't seem so bad then."

Andromeda shook her head at me. "Of course he's not so bad. He's brilliant." She smiled. "Well, I better go; I can smell burning." She sniffed the air. "Ted never was much of a cook," she added with a grin.

"Well, your head _is _in a fireplace," I reminded her.

"Ha ha, very funny. Have a good Christmas, Sirius, and keep in touch. See ya," Andromeda said.

Her head disappeared with a "pop" as I said goodbye.

I sat back in my chair, mulling over all that Andromeda had told me. The Knights of Walpurgis. Who were they? _What were they_? The name was somehow familiar to me, and yet I could not place where I had seen or heard it.

_Who were the Knights of Walpurgis? _I wondered as I sat back in my chair and gazed at the fire.

777

"So Crevan and your dad – they know about these 'Knights of Walpurgis'?" Remus asked, leaning on the windowsill and watching Orrill fade into the distance.

I nodded. It was a couple of days before the new term was about to begin and Remus and Peter had arrived back at Hogwarts. I had just finished telling Remus about my conversation with Andromeda. We were up in the Owlery, as Remus had just finished sending a letter to his mother assuring her of his safe return to Hogwarts (she was very fussy about him).

"I wonder what they are…" Remus said, the wind blowing his hair away from his face as he looked out the window.

"I don't know, but I've got a funny feeling that I've seen that name somewhere before…" I confided in him. So far, I had only told James and Remus about what Andromeda had told me.

"Where?" Remus asked.

"I can't place it," I replied.

"Oh." Remus turned and looked at me. "It's strange, isn't it? People go missing – Muggle borns, or people associated with Muggles—and then this Knights of Walpurgis thing comes up."

"Yeah." I replied. "So have you heard anything about the Sheppards?"

Instantly, Remus looked weary.

"No." he replied. "Mum and dad are trying to find out everything they can, but you can imagine that the Ministry won't tell them anything. Especially since they have a werewolf as a son…" I noticed the resentment in his voice as he said the last part…I didn't know what to say to that.

"And the Daily Prophet hasn't reported anything about them either," Remus continued.

"What about the Quibbler or something?" I suggested.

Remus snorted. "The Quibbler?" He raised his eyebrows at me. "I doubt it. They only report on sightings of animals that don't even seem to exist and outrageous conspiracy theories."

"Peter seems to like the Quibbler…" I said.

"Peter _also_ believes in Humpled Dingles," Remus reminded me.

I laughed. At least Remus had his sense of humour back.

"So you don't know anything about what happened to the Sheppards then?" I asked.

"Well… there _was_ one thing…" Remus said slowly, looking away from me.

"What?" I asked.

"Something that Anastasia's sister found at their house just after they went missing…"

"And what was it?" I asked eagerly.

Remus took a while to reply. "A silver ring with a serpent on it," he said finally, his gaze latched on the sky outside.

I looked at him with wide eyes.

Serpents, as is widely known, are the symbol for anything associated with pureblood wizards, with Slytherin, with dark wizards, and with Salazar Slytherin himself.

_And_ with the 'Most Ancient and Noble House of Black'.

Remus knew I had a silver ring with the Black family crest embossed in a circle and that on either side of the crest was a small silver serpent with emerald eyes. Amias had given me the ring about two months before I had started my first year at Hogwarts. It had slipped out of my socks once when I had pulled them out of my trunk, and Remus had seen it before I shoved it back in there. I didn't know why I kept the ring at all. It would be so easy to just throw it into the lake, but I still held onto it. Maybe by keeping it I was telling myself that there was a way for my family to change. Or, that I wanted to keep some reminder that I _did _have a family—even if none of them ever cared about me.

"That – that's the symbol for purebloods…" I said finally.

"Yes." Remus replied, and then he looked at me. "Sirius, I didn't want to tell you at first… I wanted to save you from knowing… I know that's the symbol of… of the Black's as well… but you're not a traditional Black, and I would never hold that against you as a person, especially because you're my friend…"

"I… what's all this mean?" I said.

"I really don't know…" Remus replied wearily.

And neither did I.

Nevertheless, we had all forgotten about the Knights of Walpurgis thing within the span of a month, and there were no more missing people, even though those that had gone missing were never found. Remus and I had also almost forgotten about the serpent ring that Anastasia's sister had found after the Sheppards had gone missing.

As the months went by, we eventually forgot that it had ever happened, and even if Remus did think about it now and then, he never talked about it again.

_We_ never talked about it again and went on with our daily lives…

Which was a most fatal mistake.

If we had of known what was coming…

777

**Author's Notes: **Yes I know it seems I'm being a bit slack with this story at the moment, but a lot of other stuff has been going on in my life and I will admit that I haven't done anything to this story in mooonnnntths, (never fear I have a fair few chapters written in advance), but I am truly trying to get back into it, and back into the swing of things. I don't know, I think maybe the events that happened in HBP kind of made me not write as much. Anyway, that's an update.

Thank you also to the people who beta-ed this chapter, I really really appreciate it guys:-D

Oh and if your wondering why there's no dedication to the 700th reviewer I'm going to be slightly random and make the dedication for the 777th reviewer (if it gets there!) just cause I can and cause 7's my fave number!

I would like to thank you all for your continued support and wonderful reviews, keep them coming and I will keep the story coming:-D


	37. Valentine's & Quidditch

**Year: 1973 – February, 2nd Year**

**Remus Rants:**

**Quote of the Day: Many complain of their looks, but none of their brains**

"James has a Valentine!" Peter squeaked excitedly as an owl dropped a pink envelope in front of a bewildered James.

It was a mild winter day in the middle of February and it was, of course, St. Valentine's Day. The months since Christmas had flown by and it was already the middle of February. There was no news yet of the Sheppards and a small voice in my head said that there never would be, but some small part of me still kept hope. I hadn't talked to Sirius about the missing people _or_ the Knights of Walpurgis and what it all meant since that day before the start of term. It seemed that Sirius had forgotten about the whole ordeal, or he chose not to talk about it. All I knew was that after the Sheppards went missing no one else did, and so it had been quiet up until now. Everyone seemed to forget that people had gone missing in the first place.

Everyone except for me.

It was also a couple of days after the full moon, and I still felt slightly weary, but my transformations were getting better because I now had Sirius, James, and Peter to help me through them—they knew my secret, and they didn't abandon me for it. I still thought about it everyday; it made me cherish how lucky I really was.

"How come James has a Valentine and I don't?" Sirius said in a whiny tone, breaking into my thoughts.

"Because you're ugly?" James suggested with a hearty laugh as he tore the envelope open.

To be covered in a puff of pink glitter.

Sirius chortled, "Actually, I'm rather glad I _didn't_ get a Valentine after all…"

James glowered at him and tipped the envelope upside down in case there was any more glitter lurking inside. A bright red card shaped like a pair of lips fell out and onto the table in front of him.

James opened the card cautiously; by now everyone around him was looking on in eager anticipation.

Suddenly a high pitched voice filled the air and the lip-card started to sing. Every student in the hall stared at it, and the now embarrassed James.

_Oh that James Potter_

_I've never seen anyone hotter_

_When he walks past_

_My heart beats very fast_

_His messy hair _

_Makes him look like a fluffy teddy bear!_

James, now as red as the card, grabbed it and slammed it shut as the whole hall erupted in laughter.

"Well? Let's hear the rest of it!" Sirius chortled, and with that he seized the card, stood up on his chair, and pulled it open. James jumped up in effort to get the card back off Sirius, but since Sirius was taller he held it just out of James' reach. James finally gave up and shrugged, deciding that he didn't care if the whole hall heard it, He was still red, though.

_His beautiful eyes are of hazel_

_They make my heart drop to my navel_

_He loves to play the noble sport Quidditch_

_I wish I could watch him fly everyday on that pitch!_

_Oh James Potter_

_I've never seen anyone hotter_

The singing card finished on an awfully high note and kissed James on the lips.

"Thank you for your attention ladies and gentlemen, I'll be receiving cards all week," James said as he sat down and laughed awkwardly.

The hall erupted in laughter.

"'_His messy hair makes him look like a fluffy teddy bear'" _Sirius imitated the card with a barking laugh, "I liked that part the best."

"Git." James said to Sirius. "I'll get you back for that!" he cuffed Sirius on the side of the head. "And I don't see _you _getting any cards." he added.

"My admirers are just too shy to do that," Sirius retorted.

"Or perhaps you don't have any?" I suggested. Sirius poked his tongue out at me.

"You don't have any either, Remus." Sirius pointed out.

"Alas, 'tis true." I mock-sighed.

"I wonder who sent it?" Peter wondered.

"Some silly little bint," Lily Evans snorted from the other side of the table before any of us could reply. She was looking at the red card in disdain. I looked at her, surprised.

James raised his eyebrow at her, "You're not suggesting _you _sent it, are you Lily?" James said, a bit too hopefully.

Lily rolled her eyes, "And why would I do a thing like that, Potter?"

"Because you wanted to confess your undying love to me?" James offered.

Lily snorted again "Your messy hair certainly does _not_ make you look like a teddy bear," she said.

"I'd like to think I looked like something more masculine than a teddy bear," James agreed.

"No, sorry Potter, it makes you look more like you've got a bird's nest on top of your head," Lily replied. I couldn't tell if she was being serious or not.

"I resent that Miss Evans!" James replied as he ran a hand through his hair, trying to smooth it down while Sirius let out another barking laugh.

Lily however, just rolled her eyes again and went back to talking to Alexandra, but I noticed a distinct smile on her lips that I guessed had nothing to do with what she was talking about.

James shrugged and picked up the envelope that the card had been in. He turned it over.

"There's no name or anything on it."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Of course there isn't, you dolt. It's from a _secret _admirer!"

"Does it say anything about meeting somewhere?" Peter asked.

"Nope."

"Ah, too bad, then you could have found out who it was." Peter said.

The bell went for the start of the day before James could reply.

"What have we got first?" I asked as we stood up and shouldered our bags.

"Transfiguration," Peter replied, and we made our way out of the hall and up the stairs to the upper levels.

"I really want to know who sent that card," James said as we entered the Transfiguration classroom.

"You'll have to do some guesswork," Sirius said, as if he specialized in these sorts of things.

"There's a heap of girls that could have sent it though," James replied as we took our seats. We lowered our voices; we had to be quiet then, because McGonagall was starting to instruct us on what we would be transfiguring today.

"So are you ready for the match tomorrow?" Sirius asked James, referring to the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match that was on tomorrow as McGonagall walked around the students to help them.

"Course," James replied.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, get on with your work please," McGonagall walked over to James' and Sirius' desk.

"Sorry Professor, we were just discussing the match tomorrow. Wouldn't it be smashing if Gryffindor won?" James said.

"Yes Mr. Potter, it would indeed be smashing, but I suggest you concentrate on your Quidditch when playing Quidditch and Transfiguration when in Transfiguration." With that, McGonagall walked over to Lavinia and Alanna, two Gryffindors in our year.

"So Lily, who d'you think sent that card?" James was prodding Lily, who was sitting in front of him.

Lily turned around "I don't know Potter! Why are you asking _now _for?"

"Because I wanted to know?" he said.

Lily glowered at him, "I'm trying to do work here Potter, as you so obviously are not." she said.

"Oh but Miss Evans, I just wanted your educated opinion on this matter," James said formally.

Lily raised her eyebrow at him, "You know my opinion, it was sent by some silly little bint who thinks your brilliant, and is sorely mistaken. Now do your work," she turned around again.

James sat back in his chair as Sirius grinned.

"What?" James asked, noticing the silly look on Sirius' face.

"You know what-" Sirius whispered, "-_I think Evans fancies you!_"

James went red, "She doesn't!"

"She does so," Sirius said knowingly.

"She glares at me every time I look at her," James replied.

"He's right, she does glare at him an awful lot," Peter said.

"Thanks Wormtail." James said sarcastically.

"It's all a big cover up," Sirius replied.

"You and your theories, Sirius. What's next… Peter liking that silly bint Florence from Hufflepuff?" James said. Peter reddened.

"You _don't_ like Florence, do you Pete?" James eyed Peter suspiciously.

"No, no! Of course not." Peter said a little too quickly.

James shrugged.

"Well, I reckon Lily likes you." Sirius said with an air of finality.

And I had a strange feeling that for once, Sirius might be right.

The next morning I awoke to the unmistakable sound of someone cackling. It seemed to be coming from the bathroom. I wiped my eyes tiredly, pulled off the blankets and swung my feet out of bed to see what all the noise was about. The cackling got increasingly more hysterical, and I registered vaguely that it was Sirius.

Typical.

I could hear another voice saying, "_Shut up_ Sirius! You stupid swot!"

James.

Also typical.

Sirius, however, just kept on laughing.

I opened my drapes and found that James, Peter and Sirius had all gotten up already; it was fairly early as well, as James always woke up early on the day of a match. I walked tiredly over to the bathroom door to see what was so funny that Sirius had to wake everyone within hearing distance with his incessant guffaws.

I opened the door and there stood Sirius, clutching his stomach and laughing his head off. He was holding his camera. Peter, who looked as if he was fighting back the urge to laugh, stood next to Sirius. My gaze landed on James.

And I started to laugh hysterically.

James turned around, "_Remus_! Not you too!" he groaned.

I couldn't reply, for it was too funny, and I stood there laughing, looking at James in disbelief.

James scowled.

Not a single hair was left on his once bushy head.

Yes, James Potter- famed for his messy bird nesty hair- was completely and utterly _bald. _

Yes- bald- as in having no hair left at all on one's head. (One's very _white _head – I might add).

He was a chrome dome to boot.

And it looked utterly ridiculous.

This was entirely _too _much for both me and Sirius, who kept on laughing madly at James' new look.

"Wha… what did you _do_?!" I asked between bursts of laughter.

"He… he shaved it off!" Sirius said, barking with laughter.

"You… _shaved _it off?!" I looked at James wide-eyed and began laughing hysterically again.

"Shut up you morons!" James said, utterly embarrassed. James always got defensive and angry when he was embarrassed, which made him a terrible target for Sirius' comments.

"Why did you… why'd you shave it off?" I asked, clutching my now sore stomach.

"I… I wante-" James began, but was cut off instantly by Sirius, who could tell exactly why James was now as bald as a wee baby.

"He took Evans' words to heart!" Sirius cried, "She said his hair was like a bird's nest yesterday! Remember Remus?!" Sirius pounded the bathroom wall with his fist, laughing.

I did indeed remember Lily commenting on the state of James' hair yesterday in Transfiguration. Though why it had caused James to commit such a drastic act was quite beyond me.

James reddened, "Shut _up_ Sirius!"

"Oh, poor Jamie!" Sirius said, "Well at least now you don't have to worry about people commenting about your bird's nest. No- I imagine they may say something about your chrome dome though," Sirius laughed hysterically.

James glared at Sirius. "It's _not_ a chrome dome!" he said irritably, running a hand over his bald head.

"Looks like one to me!" Sirius replied gleefully with a guffaw, and ran his hand over James' head.

James whacked Sirius on the side of the head, "Shut it you git! You're meant to _help_ me!"

Finally our laughter died down.

"You're right, sorry Jim," Sirius said grinning, "But it's not everyday your best friend shaves all of his hair off because of what some girl said." With that, he let out a chortle.

"It wasn't _just_ about what Evans said." James replied defensively.

"Oh! So he admits it! It _was _about Evans! So why else did you do it then??" Sirius asked.

"Well… James Potter – Quidditch Chaser Extraordinaire – does _not _look like a stupid teddy bear," James said matter-of-factly.

At that Sirius started to laugh again.

"_That's _why you shaved it off?" Sirius asked.

"Well I don't want to attract some silly girl who thinks I look like a bloody teddy bear," James replied haughtily.

"Oh, but teddies are so _cute_!" Sirius said shrilly, smacking his lips together and talking in a high voice that I only guessed was meant to be an imitation of the female species. If I ever heard a female talk like that I'd be _very_ scared indeed.

James shook his head and rolled his eyes at Sirius. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: You. Are. Mental."

"This, coming from a boy who just shaved all his hair off because he didn't want to look like a fluffy wittle bear," Sirius replied throatily.

"Shut up."

"So, what are you going to do James?" Peter asked, "The match is on in about thirty minutes."

James gasped "_Thirty minutes_?! What am I gonna _do_?!" he said exasperatedly.

"Well, there's not much you _can_ do really…" I pointed out.

"Thanks Remus." James said scathingly.

"You go out there with your head held high and say 'Lily: I did this for you," Sirius said, "and then you give her a snog." That got him started with the guffawing again.

James whacked Sirius again.

"What?" Sirius said innocently, his hands over his head in hopes of protecting himself from James' whacks. "It was only a suggestion, and you _did _do it for Lily."

"I was _talking_ about the match! I can't go out there like this and play in front of the school," James said.

"Course you can," Sirius said roughly.

"They'll laugh at me," James said.

"Take it like a man." Sirius replied, as if he had total experience in being a man.

"I know! I'll cover it up!" James said suddenly, ignoring Sirius and marching out of the bathroom and over to his trunk. We followed him and watched as he flung random items out of his trunk in search of something.

"Ah. Here it is!" James said, holding up a Chudley Cannons hat which had the motto 'Let's all just cross our fingers and hope for the best,' and shoved it on his head.

"There," he said.

Sirius snorted, "What happened to 'We shall conquer!'?" he raised his eyebrow, looking at the hat.

"They changed the motto last year sometime," James replied.

Sirius smirked, "I suppose it _does _fit, as they haven't conquered any team in 81 years."

"I'll have you know that the Cannons won the league 21 times!" James said indignantly.

"Yeah, that was about five hundred years ago," Sirius replied, "No, they're nowhere near as good as the Wimbourne Wasps."

"The Wasps are only good because they've got Eden and Bagman." James replied.

"Yes, but the point is - they're _good_. Quite unlike the Cannons." Sirius smirked.

Before James could reply I cut in.

"James, its now twenty minutes to the game, you should be down in the hall." I said. James looked at me wide-eyed.

"The game! How could I forget?! It was all your fault Sirius! Going on about the stupid Wasps!"

"Of course. It's always _my_ fault." Sirius shook his head at James, "Sometimes I wonder why I'm even friends with you at all," he joked as James grabbed his Quidditch gear and made his way to the door in a frenzy.

"Sirius." James stopped.

"Yes?"

"For the last and final time: _Shut. Up_!" James said, and with that he pulled the door open and walked down the stairs. Sirius, Peter and I following in his wake.

By the time we got down to the Great Hall the Gryffindor team had already finished eating.

"Where _were_ you?" Caleb Mort, the Quidditch captain, asked as James sat down and started shovelling toast into his mouth as if he hadn't eaten in a week.

"I 'oog noof," James said, his mouth full of toast.

"He shaved his head, then we had a bit of a laugh about it, then he covered it up with that ridiculous hat and then we got to talking about Quidditch," Sirius explained simply.

The Gryffindor team stared at James, who was now glaring at Sirius, and suddenly they burst out laughing.

Almost everyone in the hall who was not distracted by the owls turned to see what they were laughing at.

"Thanks Sirius." James said sarcastically, finishing his toast.

"Well they had to find out sometime," Sirius replied. James just glowered at Sirius as the team were in hysterics.

"You shaved your head?" A disbelieving voice said.

It was Lily.

James went positively pink.

"I… I…" he babbled.

Lily grinned. "Why'd you shave your head Potter?" she asked.

James didn't reply, and gave a warning look to Sirius, who was itching to tell her exactly _why _James had shaved his head.

"I wanted a new look, Evans," he said huffily.

"If you say so," she laughed and turned away.

"Do y'think she likes it?" James asked hopefully.

"I don't know, why don't you ask her?" Sirius replied unhelpfully.

"James, you're not going to wear that for the match are you?" Caleb asked, pointing to his Chudley Cannons hat.

"Er, yes?" James said.

"You're not serious?! We can't be associated with a team that have been on a losing streak for the past 81 years!" Caleb said, "It'll bring us bad luck."

"But… but…"

"Come on James, I'm sure it's not _that _bad." Caleb said.

James grumbled and pulled his hat off. Instantly, the team started laughing again.

"Okay, so it _is _that bad." Caleb said.

James rolled his eyes at Caleb. "Can we go down to the change rooms now?" he asked, peering around at the great hall, most of the students were now laughing at James' new hairdo.

"Yeah. It's about time to," Caleb recovered and stood up, the team followed his lead.

With a quick goodbye and good luck, we saw James and his bald head off.

"Well… _that_ was certainly amusing," I said as James and the team departed through the oak doors.

"Too right it was!" Sirius replied.

"D'you really think he did it because of what Lily said?" I asked Sirius as I took a sip of orange juice.

"Why else would he have done it?" Sirius asked.

"I dunno… wanted a new look," I said, and we both started laughing again.

"And today's match will be Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff, folks," said Linwell Bentley, the Quidditch commentator, in a booming voice that could be heard all across the stands.

The wind blew in my face and a light rain settled in my hair and on my cloak as I sat down with Peter and Sirius in the stands, waiting for the match to begin.

"And it's a very promising team the Gryffindors have lined up this year, now we're just waiting for them to come out of the change room, and here they come." Linwell said as the Gryffindor team came walking out of the change rooms to a roar of applause from the crowd, "There's the Captain Caleb Mort, Chaser James Potter – who seems to be sporting a new look, my, his ears must be freezing… ah, and there's Eleanor Adair, the fourth year Beater – don't want to get on her bad side, I can tell you… ah, and there's Sturgis Podmore, the fifth year Seeker."

Linwell continued as the team members walked out onto the pitch.

Sirius snorted, "The Hufflepuffs don't stand a chance," he said as the Hufflepuff team came walking out onto the pitch.

He was probably quite right, I thought as I looked at the Hufflepuff team.

"And the match is about to begin." Linwell said as Madam Sykes marched out onto the pitch carrying a case. She blew her whistle and flipped open the case. Instantly, the Quidditch balls flew out and into the air. The match had started.

"And Caleb Mort's in possession, strong flyer is Mort, oh, now Hufflepuff Chaser Boswell's in possession, Potter gaining on Boswell…" Linwell continued.

I watched James zooming down the pitch, eye on the Hufflepuff Chaser Bill Boswell. Boswell threw the Quaffle to Nathan Churchfield – the other Hufflepuff Chaser – but it never quite made it to Churchfield as James swiftly cut in between them and caught the Quaffle. The Gryffindors cheered. James was now zooming back up the pitch, Hufflepuff Chaser's in tow, and threw the Quaffle at the left goal hoop, before the Keeper had a chance to move the Quaffle was through. Gryffindor let out more loud cheers and applause.

"Gryffindor 10 to 0 for Hufflepuff, thanks to Chaser James Potter! I don't care what his hair looks like – that boy can fly!" Linwell said happily as he cheered along with the others and James did a loop of honour.

"And now Hufflepuff Chaser Boswell back in possession, Mort coming up close behind him," Linwell said.

Mort was tailing Boswell. Boswell threw the Quaffle towards his fellow Chaser, but Mort caught it in mid and zoomed down the pitch, the Chasers following him. I looked to see what James was doing, and as he zoomed down the pitch towards Mort, his face etched in concentration, I noticed something strange. James' hair was miraculously starting to grow back!

"Look at James' hair!" Peter cried, pointing at James, his hair now about two inches long. James hadn't noticed this new hair growth. By now everyone was staring in disbelief at James' hair and not paying any attention to the match.

"And it seems as if Potter's hair is growing back! I don't believe it! Maybe he could give Professor Kettleburn some tips on hair regrowth!" Linwell said.

"Linwell!" McGonagall cried, but Kettleburn – the Care of Magical Creatures Professor—just laughed and ran a hand over his balding head.

"And Hufflepuff scores! An even ten!" Linwell suddenly yelled. The Gryffindor team looked around in surprise; I did as well. The team, too intent on watching James' hair regrow, had let Boswell slip past them and score.

James then ran a hand through his hair and let out a whoop of surprise and happiness. With newfound fervour he flew alongside Mort, who was now in possession.

The Hufflepuff Chasers were circling Mort but before they could catch the Quaffle Mort threw it to James, who caught it expertly and closed the gap between himself and the hoops and threw it through the middle hoop, narrowly missing the Keeper.

Another loud cheer erupted from our stands.

"Gryffindor in the lead 20 to 10!" Linwell said.

"If they keep this up they'll win in no time!" Sirius yelled over the din.

And Sirius was right. About forty minutes, into the match the Gryffindor Chasers had scored another 80 points, making the score 100 to only 30. The only hiccups so far was that Olivia Richards, the third Gryffindor Chaser, had copped a bludger to the hand, as she stuck it out too far to get the Quaffle.

James had now scored 40 of the points with his excellent flying and technique.

"And Mort now in possession, to Potter, and to Richards now…" Linwell commentated.

I watched as Olivia, her hand bandaged, flew down towards the Hufflepuff hoops. She aimed the Quaffle at the hoops and threw it at the right one, but the Keeper stopped it just in time.

"And Keeper Johnson stops the Quaffle with an excellent manoeuvre. Churchfield in possession now. Ah! It seems that Hufflepuff Seeker Cooke has spotted the Snitch!" Linwell said excitedly.

The whole crowd looked on eagerly as Cooke whizzed downwards towards the glittering golden Snitch. Sturgis Podmore, the Gryffindor Seeker, was hot on Cooke's trail.

Podmore was definitely the better flyer.

We waited with baited breath as Podmore gained on Cooke, their arms outstretched towards the Snitch that was sure to disappear at any moment. Then suddenly, before you could say 'fizzle', Cooke dived fiercely, but too soon, and the Snitch whizzed out of the way.

"And Cooke's lost the Snitch! Boswell in possession now…"

Podmore swirled back around and scanned the field for the Snitch; then, his face set, he zoomed upwards. Cooke turned and followed Podmore. I looked to where Podmore was heading and instantly I saw it- a golden glimmer on the Hufflepuff end of the pitch.

Podmore hurtled towards it, Cooke behind him.

"Podmore has spotted the Snitch!"

Suddenly Podmore dived towards the Snitch, Cooke zooming after him. Podmore stretched out his hand desperately. I watched with the rest of the Gryffindors with baited breath and finally his outstretched hand closed around the golden Snitch.

"Podmore gets the Snitch!! Gryffindor win 250 to 80!!" Linwell boomed and instantly loud cheering and stamping erupted all around me.

"We won! _We won_!" Sirius yelled excitedly, stamping his feet wildly.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team had done it again.

"James! I… I wanted to say Congratulations!" Polly Brown, a blonde first year, giggled at James. Before he could reply, she ran away giggling.

James looked at Polly's retreating back blankly as she ran to the corner of the Common Room to talk to her friends, who were pointing and giggling at James.

Sirius snorted, "Seems like you've found yourself a fan club."

James rolled his eyes at Sirius, and winked at the girls in the corner, who went mad with giggles.

It was the night of the Quidditch match and the Common Room was rife with noise. As soon as the team had arrived back at the Common Room the celebrations had started. Sirius and a couple of other Gryffindors had hurried off to the kitchens to get food and drinks for the celebrations, and now everyone was eating, laughing, drinking and discussing Gryffindors victories.

James, Sirius, Peter and I and some of the other second years were sitting by the fireplace, food and drink in our hands.

Peter nudged James. "I think that girl likes you." He looked over at Polly.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Of _course_ she does!"

"Yeah. Of course she does. I mean, who can resist me?" James said, waggling his eyebrows.

Lily snorted but didn't say anything.

"James and Po-lly sittin' in a tree," Sirius sang, "K I S S –"

"That doesn't mean I like her!" James said hastily, cutting him off.

"Who _do _you like then?" I asked noticing Lily sit up and stare at James out of the corner of my eye.

"I… I don't like anyone," James gabbled. I wasn't sure if he was lying or not. Lily sunk back down into her chair.

"Whatever you say James," Sirius smirked.

"I bet you it was Polly that sent that card," Alexandra said to James knowingly.

"So?" James said, looking at her.

"Well, why don't you go ask her?" Peter said.

Sirius started, "Peter- you don't just go up to a girl and ask her if she fanc-"

"I'll ask her," Lily cut over Sirius.

We all stared at Lily.

"Why would you do a thing like that Evans?" James asked cautiously.

"Well if she does I can warn her about you," she smirked. I couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

James laughed. "What's to warn?"

"Oh nothing," Lily replied instantly, and before James could stop her, she skipped over to the corner of the room and began to talk to Polly and her friends.

James watched helplessly as Lily pointed at James and started talking very fast. After a while Polly and her friends looked over at James, scandalised, they gave him a look of revulsion before turning their backs on him. It certainly was a change to the way they had been looking at him five minutes before.

James widened his eyes, "What's she telling them?!"

Alex laughed as Lily came skipping back over to us happily.

"What the heck did you say to them?!" James demanded as Lily sat down again.

"Oh nothing of importance," she replied nonchalantly, leaning back in her chair.

"Didn't _seem_ like nothing of importance!" James replied.

"Oh Potter, don't get your knickers in a twist, I just told them about your er- questionable traits," Lily replied.

James widened his eyes. "Questionable traits?! _Questionable traits_? What questionable traits? I don't _have_ any questionable traits!"

Lily just raised her eyebrows at him.

"Not to worry James," Sirius said, standing up. "I'll sort this all out," with that he went to the corner of the room to converse with Polly and her friends.

James groaned. "That git will make it worse."

By now Lily was looking on in thorough amusement as Sirius pointed to James, then Lily and then Polly and began waving his arms around as if to get his point across.

James groaned in exasperation, and then Sirius came walking back over to the fireplace, a cross look on his face.

"Well, what did they say?" Peter asked eagerly.

"They wouldn't tell me anything, all they said was 'She told us you'd say that'," Sirius looked at Lily, who just smirked.

"You're evil," James said feebly to Lily as Sirius sat back down again.

"Thank you Potter," Lily replied, looking not in the least bit concerned that James had just called her evil.

James threw her a pathetic look and no more was said about that.

For the next few weeks, though, whenever James walked past the first year girls, they looked at him with scandalised looks on their faces and began to whisper frantically as he walked by.

"So, what did you _really_ tell those girls?" I asked Lily as I put my quill down and stretched, looking across at Lily, who did the same.

It was past midnight and the rest of the Gryffindors had finally gone to bed, leaving Lily and I in a messy, empty common room. Sirius, James and Peter were also in bed. I however, had to stay up late because I had to catch up on all the work I had missed over the full moon. Lily was finishing off a Potions essay.

Lily regarded me with scrutiny, "Nothing of importance."

"Oh come on Lily, you can't fool me," I said, grinning.

She smiled back at me. "I suppose you're right Remus. But say I tell you – what's to stop you from telling James?" she asked. I noticed she had actually called him by his first name, which was unusual, as she usually called him 'Potter'.

"I can keep secrets very well thank you," I replied.

"So you won't tell James?"

"Not if you don't want me to," I replied.

"Okay then," Lily sat back in her chair, "I only told them that he had er- a permanent condition that resulted in er- permanent warts in the most questionable places…" she finished.

I looked at her for a moment.

And then burst out laughing.

Lily joined in.

"Why… why'd you tell them something like _that_ for?" I asked, laughing.

"Well, I don't know why exactly," Lily said truthfully. "Well they were annoying me, silly little bints, and he was acting conceited," she grinned, "I thought I might bring him back down to earth." She laughed.

I shook my head at her, laughing. "James Potter the famous Quidditch Chaser with warts in questionable places," I let out a burst of laughter, "So _that's _why they were looking at him in revulsion." I laughed as Lily nodded.

Well, it _was _funny.

Lily laughed, "Yep. And I told them not to tell anyone in case it comes back to James because he'll jinx them if he finds out."

I shook my head at her again, grinning, "James is right about one thing…"

"What?" she asked.

"You _are_ evil, Lily Evans."

Lily just laughed and picked up her quill again.

**AUTHORS NOTES**

Ok, so I haven't updated in aaaaaaaaaaaages, but I have now, I've seen some of you adding the story to their faves and alerts, for which I thank you most graciously! I don't know where this story is going, I have some chapters written but I don't know if I'll finish it. And I don't know if its going to be edging along with canon, it will most likely be **my **version of the Marauders, of what I think they were really like :P. If you cant deal with that then bye bye:P Thanks goes out to Maethril Aranel for beta-ing and fixing all my terrible grammatical errors!


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